Badlapur: A school bus driver was arrested for allegedly molesting a Class 5 girl in Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district. The accused, identified as 38-year-old Jayesh Mune, was arrested and sent to police custody till March 2. The incident took place on Wednesday evening, after school hours.
According to police, the bus driver approached the student while she was returning home and molested her. The student narrated the incident to her parents upon arriving home. Based on her complaint, a case was registered against the accused at the Badlapur West Police Station on Wednesday midnight. Police acted swiftly and arrested the accused, who lives in Vangani. Police have stated that the accused had been working as the bus driver for the past eight years.
Generally, a female helper remains in the vehicles transporting students, but on the day of the incident, she had taken leave due to health reasons. The police have issued notices to the bus owner and school management, summoning them for questioning, for violating safety regulations.
The investigation into the case has been assigned to Assistant Commissioner of Police Shailesh Kale. Police are also investigating how many other students the accused has assaulted. The accused’s mobile phone and other evidence are being examined, and potential victims are being sought.
Last month, a child was molested in a school van. Even after that, parents allege that no concrete steps have been taken to improve safety in school transport. Neelam Gorhe, Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Council, recently visited Badlapur and hinted at implementing stricter regulations. The incident has created fear and anger among parents.