In a dramatic turn of event, day after the Vibgyor School reopened, the Bangalore Police on Tuesday arrested two gym instructors in connection with the alleged rape of a six-year-old student in the upmarket school in east Bangalore recently. They have arrested lalgiri and Wasim Pasha, under Section 376 (D) of the IPC Section 4 and 5 of the stringent POSCO (Protection of Child from Sexual Offences) Act.
The arrests not only surprised many, but also questioned the botched-up police investigation when they admitted that the person who was arrested earlier a skating instructor Mustafa alias Munna may not have been involved in the crime. Much has been said about Mustafa and his paedophilic act when the Bangalore Police arrested Mustafa, allegedly a child abuser with whom the Police had recovered lot of child pornographic material. The skating instructor was arrested by then Police Commissioner Raghavendra Aurdhkar, who was shunted after widespread protests were witnessed in Bangalore and other places against the Government’s apathy in handling the incident.
Bangalore Police Commissioner MN Reddi who addressed a Press conference said they had arrested two gym instructors and gave clean chit to Mustafa, the skating instructor who was arrested earlier. MN Reddi said, “We have arrested two gym instructors who are responsible for the incident. We are investigating the role of the man arrested earlier in the incident. A complaint from his earlier school has been registered”.
“A complaint of rape has turned out to be a case of gangrape after the arrest of two more persons in the Vibgyor High School case”, City Police Commissioner MN Reddi told reporters. The alleged incident had occurred on July 2, but the complaint with police was lodged by the victim’s parents on July 14. Reddi said investigations have ruled out the direct involvement of Mustafa, who was held by police as a suspect based on circumstantial evidence available at that point of time.
The Commissioner said, with the arrest of Giri and Pasha, Bangalore Police has solved the case, that had evoked a public outrage and led to severe protests. A senior police officer on the condition of anonymity told The Pioneer that the police have flip-flopped the investigation and compromised on many things under political pressure. He said, “how can they arrest a person without solid proof. What about his (Mustafa) reputationIJ I don’t know what line of investigation after so many days proves him innocentIJ Was it a conspiracy they have arrested someone innocent to save the embarrassment to the ruling GovernmentIJ They have to answer many questions to the people”.
Mustafa’s wife told the media that he was proved innocent and it was the gift for the Eid. She also said his reputation has been terribly damaged. Many incidents of rapes and this particular incident is a blot on the ruling Government which failed to act immediately. Many pro-Kannada organisations have given a Bangalore bandh call on Thursday in protest against rape incidents.