Suspect peon handed over to special cell

Rajesh Tare (38) was arrested by Trombay police after a counsellor with Tata Institute for Social Sciences approached them.

A special cell of the Crime Branch that tackles crimes against women has taken over the probe against a peon working at a Home for Mentally Deficient Children in Mankhurd who was arrested Friday for allegedly sexually exploiting two girls from the home.

Rajesh Tare (38) was arrested by Trombay police after a counsellor with Tata Institute for Social Sciences (TISS) approached them. As per the complaint, Tare raped an inmate of the shelter around four months ago and later molested another girl.

On Sunday, Tare was handed over to the special cell. “We visited the shelter home and the scene of the crime, which is near the home, Sunday and spoke to the two victims with assistance from counsellors with TISS. Tare has been remanded in custody till March 28,” said DCP (Headquarters) Sharda Raut, who heads the cell.

Sources said Tare had been employed at the shelter home for the past 16-17 years and was entrusted with duties such as serving food and ringing bells to signal the beginning and end of classes at the shelter home.
Thus, he was in frequent and close contact with the inmates and was familiar with the daily routine of the home and the places around it.

“We are probing if Tare had similarly targeted other girls in the institution,” said an officer.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram