Pune: Local leaders have helped the accused in Wanawadi case

Pune: A driver of a school van was arrested for sexually abusing a minor girl in Wanawadi. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reacted to this.

Fadnavis alleged that some local leaders helped the driver escape. He was speaking to the media in Nagpur. Fadnavis said, “It has been revealed in the preliminary investigation that some local leaders helped the accused driver escape. I do not see a political party in such incidents. An accused is an accused at the end of the day. Strict action will be taken against him. Action will also be taken against those who helped him.

“It will be investigated if there are more such victims. The van driver touched girls in a wrong manner. A parent of a girl child came to know about this and lodged a complaint. Then it came to the fore that he touched another girl in a similar manner. Therefore, he has been booked under the POCSO Act. The school owner has also been summoned.

“We are directing all institution owners that they should focus on school transport. They should update details about van, bus drivers and other staff.”

The accused has been identified as Sanjay Jeting Reddy (45), a resident of Hadapsar. He has been booked under the POCSO Act. The victim complained to her father when she came back from school four days ago. Her father took her in confidence and enquired. She told him that the van driver touched her inappropriately. She also told him that the driver did the same thing with her friend.

Replying to a question about Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s statement about Veer Savarkar, Fadnavis said, ”The Congress is frequently insulting Savarkar, who has written his thoughts about the cow. Savarkar said that the cow has the status of a mother due to her importance for farmers. But Rahul Gandhi said some wrong things about Savarkar. Congress leaders are following the tradition.”