JOIN USThe probe into the rape of a six-year-old girl at Vibgyor High in Marathahalli took a new twist on Tuesday, with the City police stating that two gymnastics instructors gang-raped the child, and not skating instructor Mustafa, who was arrested on July 20.
Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddi told mediapersons that they have arrested the two gymnastics instructors, Lal Giri (21), a resident of Bommanahalli, and Wasim Pasha (28) of Basavanagar, for gang-raping the young girl inside a room on July 3. The police had earlier said that the incident took place on July 2.
The duo has been remanded in police custody till August 1.
“The investigation so far has proved that it was a gang-rape. We have booked the duo under the Indian Penal Code Section 376D (gang-rape) and Sections 4 and 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,” said Reddi.
The Commissioner ruled out Mustafa’s direct involvement, and said he was not present at the crime scene, while earlier the police had claimed that Mustafa had confessed to the crime.
“We reconstructed the entire episode based on circumstantial evidence, confessional statements and other materials, which established involvement of the two. After sending all the students out of the room after the gymnastics class on July 3, they instructed the victim to stay back and then raped her,” Reddi said.
Lal Giri, a native of Nepal, is a BA graduate and was recruited by Vibgyor High two years ago.
Wasim hails from Gulbarga and joined the school three years ago after completing his BPEd. Both are unmarried.
They face 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment if the charges are proved in court.
Reddi said the police would question Mustafa to ascertain whether he had any links with the two gymnastics instructors and if he had abetted the crime.
Meanwhile, the police on Tuesday registered a fresh case against Mustafa under POCSO Act for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl at Deen's Academy in Dodsworth Layout, Whitefield, where he worked three years ago before joining Vibgyor High.
The police received an e-mail about the earlier incident on Monday. They will seek his custody for interrogation, DCP (Crime) Abhishek Goyal told Deccan Herald.
It is not known whether the management of Deen’s Academy had hushed up the matter.
“We will probe the delay in informing the police and take action if the matter was hushed up,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar.