22 minors molested in ashram shala, accused arrested
A cook at an ashram school in Thane, India, has been arrested for the sexual molestation of 22 minor female students. The accused was a repeat offender who had been released on bail for a previous similar crime, raising questions about school hiring practices.
Why it matters
The incident highlights systemic failures in child protection and background verification processes within residential educational institutions.
A helper at Temba ashram school in the Thane district’s Shahapur region was arrested on August 26 for allegedly molesting 22 minor female students, a police official said on Friday (August 28, 2026).
The cook identified as Ganpat Gavli (35) is allegedly a repeat offender. According to Thane police, in 2024, he allegedly sexually molested a girl at another ashram shala. Gavli was on bail in the previous case when he joined Shahapur ashram shala as helper to the cook.
On August 24, a 10th-grade student raised a complaint against Ganpat, saying Gavli cornered her and tried to sexually assault her. “21 other girls came forward, raising the indecent behaviour of the accused during the investigation,” a Thane police official said. He was arrested on Wednesday (Aug 26, 2026).
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