Massive protest erupts near Mumbai over kids' molestation at Badlapur school

Protests erupted at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday after two nursery students, four-year-old girls, were sexually abused by the sweeper of a reputed school in Thane district.

Local trains were stopped and agitators blocked the tracks. CPRO Central Railway said, "Local trains stopped at Badlapur railway station where protesters agitated against the alleged sexual assault incident with two minor girls at a school in Badlapur."

Residents in Badlapur protested against the sexual abuse of two minor girls which occurred last week. Police have arrested a person in the case. The parents came to know about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR.

Two four-year-old nursery students were allegedly sexually abused by a newly hired sweeper at an English medium school in Thane district. The 24-year-old accused was arrested on Saturday, but the parents of the victims expressed their dissatisfaction with the police's handling of the case.

Parents claimed that the FIR was registered more than 12 hours after the complaint was lodged, and only after the intervention of the District Women and Child Welfare Department.

The school administration on Monday suspended the principal, class teacher, and female attendant, holding them responsible for the incident.

The school administration has also come under scrutiny for allowing a male sweeper, who was hired on August 1, to accompany the young girls to the washroom. The incident came to light when one of the girls confided in her grandfather about the sexual abuse by the school staff member when he would take her and her friend to the washroom. The family then discussed the matter with the other girl's parents, who revealed that their daughter had recently become afraid to go to school.