4-year-old molested: Police identify 5 students, to record their statements

Deccan police are seeking consent of parents to speak to other children, to verify if the accused bus driver and attendant had committed similar acts in the past

A day after a mob of 100 parents and guardians converged at a leading school in Karve Nagar to protest the molestation of a four-year-old girl ('Parents ransack school after 4-yr-old molested'), the Deccan Police have identified five other students who travelled in the same bus as the survivor, and will be recording their statements to check if the bus attendant and driver committed such acts in the past, too.


Chaos: Angry parents converged at the school on Monday to protest the molestation of the child. Pic/Mohan Patil 

An official from Deccan police, who arrested bus driver Vinayak Bhikaji Karande (25) and attendant Amol Maruti Sherkar (25), said, "We have identified five other students who travelled in the same bus. We want to speak to them to gather information about Karande and Sherkar. There is a possibility that the students were aware of the incident, or that they were abused as well. This kind of information would provide us with crucial leads and help make our case strong."

The official added that since the students were minors, they would only speak to them if their parents consented. "In such cases, owing to the sensitive nature, most parents hesitate to cooperate. But, as per the law, we will be recording their statements and ensure that their identity is not revealed," he added.

Statement recorded
The Deccan police added that the survivor and her parents' statements had been taken. "We have recorded the statements of parents and they will be presented as witnesses. We have also added Section 376(i) related to rape in this case," said Praveen Chougule, police inspector from the Deccan police station.

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