Two held in Maharashtra for 'raping' girl on pretext of taking her home

Gadchiroli: A minor girl was allegedly raped by two persons, including a school cook who was instructed to drop her home after she sustained a leg injury in school, police said on Thursday. The two accused have been arrested, they said.

The cook, Bhamragad Bandu Madavi (30), and his friend Prashant Pillare (32), on the pretext of escorting the injured girl to her home at Dhodraj village in the district, took her to an isolated forest where they allegedly raped her on Tuesday, Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Sandeep Gawit said.

The school headmaster had apparently asked Madavi to drop the girl at her home as she sustained some leg injury in the school.

However, the accused took his friend Prashant along with him on his motorbike and then the duo 'raped' her in a forest while on way to the girl's village.

After committing the crime, they dropped the girl at her village and fled, he said.

Based on the complaint of the girl's relatives, an offence was registered under section 376 (d) of Indian Penal Code, sections 4, 8 and 10 of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sections 3, 1 and 12 of the Atrocities Act, Gawit said.

The two accused were subsequently arrested yesterday and produced in a local court, which remanded them in police custody till December 22, he said.

The girl was admitted to a hospital where her condition was improving, he said, adding that further investigation was on into the matter.