A 54-year-old housekeeping staff member working at an international school in Ahmedabad has been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually assaulting a five-year-old student on the school campus and threatening the child not to disclose the incident.
The accused, Pashabhai Nanubhai Bhangi (54), was employed as a sweeper at LDR International School in Ghuma, which falls under the Bopal Police Station limits.
The case surfaced after the child’s guardian approached the Bopal Police and lodged a complaint alleging that the accused had sexually abused the minor and subjected the child to inappropriate physical contact within the school premises. The complaint further stated that the accused threatened the child with dire consequences if the incident was revealed to anyone.
Acting on the complaint, Bopal Police registered an FIR on June 25 under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police immediately launched an investigation and arrested the accused at around 11.10 pm the same day. The accused currently resides in Manmohannagar, near the Sanathal Toll Plaza in Sarkhej, and is a native of Dedar village in Siddhpur taluka of Patan district.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the case and examining whether any additional evidence or witnesses are linked to the incident. N.S. Chauhan, Police Inspector of Bopal Police Station, said the accused was taken into custody soon after the FIR was registered and that further investigation is in progress.
The identity of the child has been withheld in accordance with legal provisions protecting the privacy of minors in POCSO cases.