Guj: Orphanage official held for molesting four minor girls

Four minor inmates of an orphanage for girls in Gujarat's Anand district were allegedly sexually harassed by its superintendent who was arrested Sunday, the police said.

The accused, identified as Minesh Parmar, allegedly made sexual overtures at the girls and touched them inappropriately, a rural police official said.

The Jeewan Anand Orphanage, located in Boriyavi village in Anand taluka, is run by a private trust.

The four girl inmates have accused Parmar of making sexual overtures, touching them inappropriately and threatening them, the official said, adding that the accused also sought sexual favours from them.

The matter came to light after the girls confided in a woman employee of the orphanage, who in turn approached the district child protection committee.

An FIR was lodged at Anand rural police station Sunday afternoon after the statements of the complainants were recorded, following which Parmar was arrested.

The accused has been booked under various sections of the IPC including 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation), and various sections of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.