A massive protest was held at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday against the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls at a school in Thane district.

Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar stated that one accused has been arrested in connection with the incident and assured that the maximum punishment would be meted out.

“This is a very sad incident. The entire machinery of the state education department has been activated. We have instructed four IAS officers from Pune and Mumbai to investigate the matter. We are inquiring why the CCTV was not working in the school. After the complaint was filed, no immediate action was taken, so the Senior PI has been transferred”, Kesarkar said.

“We will take this case to a fast-track court and ensure that the accused receives the maximum punishment. Our entire department is present here, and the safety of students is our priority,” he added.

Kesarkar further mentioned that a notice has been sent to the school in Badlapur where the alleged incident took place last week.

“We have decided to form a Vishakha Committee for every school. Two teachers, a headmaster, a class teacher, and two assistants have been suspended. The incident occurred between August 13 and 16, and when no cognizance was taken for 12 hours after the complaint on August 18, the Senior PI was transferred. One person has been arrested under POCSO and may face imprisonment of up to 13 and a half years.”

Meanwhile, heavy security has been deployed to control the crowd protesting against the alleged sexual assault incident in Badlapur.

The CPRO of Central Railway said, “Local trains were stopped at Badlapur railway station where protesters agitated.”