The warden of a government-run girls’ boarding school hostel and her husband were arrested at Kishangarh Bas in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on charges of molestation of minor girls. Two residents of the hostel had made a written complaint against them to the school’s principal.

Warden Neel Kamal Yadav of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya’s hostel allegedly used to call the girls, students of Class XII, to her home, where her husband Naresh Yadav and his friend would molest them and ask them to “befriend” other men as well. Naresh is a teacher at the Government Model School in Alwar’s Tijara town.

The sexual abuse came to light on Saturday when the school principal, Sukhi Ram, went to the hostel to distribute sweets to celebrate the return of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman from Pakistan.

“Two girls came to me crying and told me about their ordeal. I asked them to give a written complaint and informed the police,” Mr. Ram said.

A first information report under Sections 354A (sexual harassment) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered at Kishangarh Bas police station and the statements of the two hostel residents were recorded. One of the girls belongs to a Scheduled Caste.

Neemrana Additional Superintendent of Police Mahesh Tripathi said the girls had alleged in their complaint that several hostellers had “quietly suffered” the molestation and were hesitant to speak up.

Third accused

Acting on the complaint, the police obtained statements of about eight girls and sent a team to Haryana to look for the third accused, Ramkesh Sharma.

Sharma’s name appears in the list of donors who have made monetary contributions to the hostel. The State government’s Education Department has placed both the warden and her husband under suspension and initiated disciplinary proceedings against them.