School van driver arrested for molesting four year old girl in Badlapur

Police said the girl was the last student in the van when the accused allegedly touched her inappropriately. After reaching home, the child appeared frightened and initially did not communicate with her parents.

“The parents sensed something was wrong and took the child into confidence. She then revealed her ordeal,” a police officer said.

The parents subsequently approached the Badlapur West police station and lodged a complaint. Based on their statement, the police registered a case under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

A police team immediately visited the accused’s residence, brought him to the police station and arrested him on Thursday night. “He will be produced in court on Friday,” the official said.

Police said further investigation would be carried out after securing the accused’s custody. “Once we get the accused’s custody, we will investigate how long he has been working as a driver and whether there is any past record of such incidents or other criminal cases against him,” the official added.

In August last year a series of protests had broken out in Badlapur over the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls in a private school by a cleaning staff member and the “delay” in police action. The accused had subsequently been killed in an encounter by the police.