2 hostel officials held for rape of tribal girls in Chandrapur

CHANDRAPUR: Rajura police arrested the superintendent and deputy superintendent of a tribal girls hostel under Infant Jesus English School for sexual abuse of minor tribal girls. The arrests come after medical examination confirmed rape of two girls, aged 9 and 11, who had been admitted at Chandrapur GMCH on April 6 to treat overdose of sedative drugs.

Sources claimed police recovered good number of condoms and Viagra pills from the office of superintendent of the hostel Chaban Pachare, following which he was arrested on Saturday. Deputy superintendent of the hostel, Narendra Virutkar, was arrested on Sunday.

Police and tribal department swung into the action after state finance minister and guardian minister of Chandrapur Sudhir Mungantiwar ordered a detailed inquiry into the abuse of minor tribal girls in the hostel. “We have arrested two employees of the tribal hostel, after incriminating material was recovered from the office of one of them in the hostel premises,” SP Maheshwar Reddy told TOI. He said one more girl claimed she suffered similar bout of unconsciousness, and she has been sent for medical examination.

Social worker and MNS leader Raju Kukde, who met the SP with a delegation, alleged 13 minor girls of the hostel had fallen unconscious on April 6. They were taken to a local private hospital in Rajura and treated. However, two of them were in serious condition and referred to Chandrapur GMCH. During initial examination, the doctor found swelling on the private parts of one of the girls and suspected rape. He tipped off the Mardani Mahila Manch, which first raised the issue with police.

The two girls in hospital, however, refused to allow medical examination for almost a week. Finally, a couple of days back, doctors sedated them with the consent of their parents, and carried out medical examination, which confirmed rape.

Offences under section 376 (a)(b) of IPC and section 4 of POCSO Act and relevant sections of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were registered. SP Reddy said cops have obtained names of some other girls who had fallen unconscious and have sent police teams to their house to record their statements.

Social worker Adv Paromita Goswami condemned the incident and said more girls might have been abused. She interacted with the hostel girls in Rajura, and said the girls were given the sedative in ORS and other drinks. She said the exploitation was probably underway since over a year. The father of a girl has claimed that his daughter had suffered similar bouts of unconsciousness even two years back, she said.

She said the hostel management violated norms by allowing males into the girls hostel during night hours. She demanded the arrest of warden Neeta Thakre.

The director of the institute which runs the hostel is Congress ex-MLA Subhash Dhote. The hostel management has suspended superintendent Chaban Pachare with immediate effect. MLA from Rajura Sanjay Dhote held a press conference on Monday and assured to take up the matter with the chief minister. He demanded immediate cancellation of registration of the tribal hostel and shifting of all tribal students to other hostels.

Sources said there are 300 students in hostel, including 130 girls from Std I to IX.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena and tribal organizations have announced road-blockade agitation in Rajura on Tuesday morning and a silent protest march later in the evening. Over a dozen tribal organizations have come together and announced Jan-Akrosh Morcha on April 18.