14-yr-old boy sodomised at Dongri observation home

Dongri police have registered an FIR against four minor boys for sodomising a 14-year-old boy inside the premises of the Dongri juvenile home.

The accused had been sexually assaulting the boy since April. The accused are of 14, 16 and 17 years. The minor boy was first sexually assaulted by the 17-yearold accused on April 15 while he was taking a shower. The victim was again sodomised jointly along with the three other accused on April 25. The accused threatened the victim with dire consequences if he reported the matter to anyone. The accused minors have been kept at Dongri observation home.

The matter came to light on May 30 after a Non-Government Organisation conducted a seminar on sexual harassment at the observation home. The victim approached one of the NGO officials after the seminar and told him about the assault.

According to a Senior Police Inspector, Nitin Bangale, Dongri police station, “We have registered an FIR. The accused and the rape survivor have been kept on different floors inside the premises of the home. We have been monitoring the movements of the accused to rule out the possibility of the victim being harmed again. The minor victim has been kept under police protection.’’

Despite several calls and text messages, Satish Bansode, Deputy Chief Executive of the Children’s Aid Society which governs the home, remained unavailable for comment.

The minors have been booked for sodomy under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and unnatural offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).