THANE: Two 4-year-old nursery school girls were molested by a sweeper in the school washroom in Maharashtra's Badlapur. In the incident, the school management suspended the principal, class teacher and female attendant. The school authorities formed an inquiry committee to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

However, the parents protested that the school authorities had failed to ensure the safety of the children. They are also irritated that the authorities have not apologized officially. Meanwhile, at Badlapur railway station, parents and people blocked railway traffic for six hours. Trains were blocked on the Badlapur-Kalyan railway line. Footage of protesters pelting stones at the police officers present at the spot has also emerged.

The incident related to the complaint was on August 12 and 13. Akshay Shinde, a 23-year-old cleaner of the school, allegedly sexually assaulted two girls in the girls' washroom. Following the protest, the police arrested him and registered a case. The court remanded Shinde in police custody for three days.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that a special investigation team has been formed and an investigation has been started. The matter is taken very seriously. It has been decided to take action against the school. No one who has committed a crime will escape. He added that a fast-track court would be set up to try the case.

Although the accused Akshay Shinde was arrested on Saturday, the parents of the girls came forward with allegations that the police registered the FIR more than 12 hours after the complaint was filed. The parents of the girls alleged that the police was ready to register the FIR after the district women and child welfare department intervened in the matter.

The incident came to light when one of the girls told her grandfather about the sexual assault by the employee in the washroom. The children also revealed that Shinde touched their private parts when they went to the washroom. The world came to know about the ordeal faced by the two children when the family of a girl who was tortured revealed that their daughter was afraid to go to school. After the medical examination, it was found that the two girls were sexually assaulted.