Protests outside a school in Bangalore where a child was allegedly raped on July 2
The Bangalore police today arrested two gym instructors for the alleged rape of a six-year-old in an elite school, calling them the "real accused" and admitting that another instructor arrested last week may not have been involved in the assault.
The two arrested today are 21 and 28; they were contract employees at Vibgyor International School, where a first grade student was allegedly raped on July 2.
"During preliminary investigation and interrogation... (the pair) admitted to have committed the heinous crime in the school premises, which has turned out to be a case of gang-rape," Police Commissioner MN Reddi told news agency AFP. The accused had been sent to police custody till August 1.
While announcing the arrests, the police admitted that Mustafa, a skating instructor they arrested earlier, may not have been directly involved. His role as a friend of the alleged rapists, in destroying evidence is still being investigated.
His arrest came just before Bangalore's police commissioner R Auradkar was replaced in response to a furious backlash in the city. The police, sources said, were under immense pressure to show action in the case with even Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah facing public anger. (
Karnataka Chief Minister's Shocking Remark on 6-Year-old's Rape)
"The man arrested earlier - his role is still being investigated," the police chief said today.
Mustafa's seized laptop and mobile phone were loaded with child porn. The alleged paedophile had been sacked from the school where he worked earlier, for "gross misconduct"; he had been caught touching girls despite several warnings.
After last week's arrest, Vibgyor school reopened yesterday, with the authorities and the police assuring parents that new security measures were in place, including 110 CCTV cameras.
One parent who spoke to NDTV, however, said she did not believe everyone involved in the rape had been arrested and she had decided to take her daughter to another school.
Mustafa's arrest had sparked outrage among parents who said the school did not conduct proper background checks on its staff. The school's chairman Rustam Kherawalla was also arrested. (
After 6-year-old's Alleged Rape, Questions on Bangalore School's Role)
The first grade student was allegedly raped after she was asked to leave her classroom for misbehaving. The crime was discovered almost a week later, leading to street protests by parents across the IT city.