Nashik, March 5 Seven Class X students at a hostel run by the Maharashtra social welfare department in Igatpuri, Nashik, have been booked for allegedly sexually abusing some of their younger students, an official said on Thursday.
The superintendent of the hostel has also been booked in the case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at the Igatpuri police station on March 3, he added.
"A case has been filed against seven Class X students and the hostel superintendent, while an inquiry is being carried out by the Child Welfare Committee," district collector Ayush Prasad said.
According to sources, the seven Class X students are accused of giving sedatives to students from Class V-VII staying in the same hostel and then engaging in unnatural acts.
"The incident had been ongoing for the past seven months, but no one had come forward to complain due to fear. However, we found that the victims had informed the hostel superintendent, Sushant Dudhsagare, who did not take any action. Therefore, he has also been named in the case," an official said.
After the incident came to light, Dr Sanjay Shinde, an officer from the Zilla Parishad Social Welfare Department, and his team visited the spot, conducted an inquiry, and submitted their report to the ZP CEO, who has been asked to further investigate, the official said.
The seven students have been sent to a remand home, a police official said.
