Miniraj Modi, owner of Gyan Ganga International Academy in Misord, Bhopal was arrested two weeks after he was charged with raping an eight-year-old girl at the dormitory campus, the Madhya Pradesh police announced on Tuesday that they had detained the proprietor of a private school in Bhopal, as the rape survivor identified.
Police said they have also detained and suspended an assistant sub-inspector, Prakash Rajput, who allegedly mounted pressure on the minor girl’s mother to withdraw the rape complaint.
Shradha Tiwari, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Bhopal City (Zone 2), stated that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) detained Modi on Monday after the young girl recognized him.
According to Tiwari, Modi is being questioned by police while in their custody and will appear in court following a medical examination.
The victim’s mother asserted that the police were attempting to rescue the suspect in the meantime. She said that Rajput placed pressure on her to not file a case despite the police having twice performed her medical test and having recorded her statement before a magistrate.
FIR was registered against Modi on April 30 based on the complaint filed by the girl’s mother.
“My daughter was raped in the last week of April. I came to know on April 29 after she shared her ordeal with me in front of doctors of a government hospital. The doctors also confirmed the rape and injury in the private parts but Rajput came to the hospital and mounted pressure on me for not registering the case”, the woman said.
The police conducted another medical test and a medical board was formed to give their opinion, even as the doctors at the hospital had confirmed the rape, said the mother.
Later, the police also held counselling sessions and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) held the counselling for two days. “My daughter is just eight years old and already traumatised but the whole process that was adopted by police mentally harassed her”, she added.
DCP Tiwari said that things were not clear in the FIR. “In the first medical test, the doctors recommended consulting a gynaecologist…later, a medical board was formed. In between, the CWC was approached for counselling. After the statements were registered before the CWC during counselling, suspects were shown to the girl and she identified the accused”.
Modi said he was innocent and added that a conspiracy was hatched against him.
In the FIR, three people, including the hostel warden, have been booked under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act.