Headmaster among 11 arrested in tribal school girls abuse case

Eleven people, including the headmaster of a government-aided tribal residential school, in Khamgaon tehsil here have been arrested following allegations of sexual abuse of two girls over the last six months, police said today.

The accused, including the headmaster, staff and members of the school management were arrested last night from various villages across the district and brought to Khamgaon.

Offences were also registered against them under relevant sections of IPC, POCSO and SC/ST Atrocities Act.

The incident came to light after former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse was approached recently by the family of one of the victims who hailed from his assembly constituency in Muktainagar (Jalgaon).

Khadse immediately informed District Guardian Minister Pandurang Phundkar who then asked police to look into the matter.

According to police, a 14-year-old girl student from Nanji Kokare Adivasi Ashramshala in lokanda Pala at Khamgaon taluka here went to her home in a village in Muktainagar for Diwali vacations and narrated her plight to parents.

Her mother informed the woman sarpanch of the village who in turn told Khadse about the alleged exploitation.

looking into the gravity of the issue, Khadse immediately informed Phundkar about it. He asked Additional SP, Buldana Yashwant Solanke to look into the matter. Immediately, police swung into action and 11 people involved in running the Ashramshala were arrested, they said.

Phundkar, who is camping in his constituency (Khamgaon) to monitor the progress of the investigations, told PTI today that so far only two girls have came forward with complaints of alleged abuse.

The tribal residential school belongs to a local politician, he said.

Meanwhile, Arti Singh who is presently heading the Special Investigation Department (SID), Nagpur has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting a probe into the incident.