Yavatmal: A 9-year-old boy allegedly sexually assaulted a minor girl studying in his class with the help of another female classmate in the toilet of their school in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, police said on Tuesday.

Accused The Case

The accused boy and the 9-year-old girl, who allegedly abetted the crime, have been detained and sent to a juvenile remand home, they said.

The victim, aged 8, and the two accused were students of Class 3 at a Zilla Parishad school in Babulgaon town, where the alleged incident took place on August 1, the police said.

A few days back, the victim complained of pain in her private parts following which her mother took her to a hospital. Doctors at the hospital found injuries on the victim’s private parts, a police official said.

As per a police complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, her daughter told her that a boy from her class assaulted her in the school toilet with the help of another girl, the official said.

The victim’s mother approached the police on August 9 with a complaint against the boy and the girl and a case was subsequently registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said.

Yavatmal Superintendent of Police Kumar Chintha said the police have received a complaint about a 9-year-old boy assaulting an 8-year-old girl in Babulgaon.

Another girl, aged 9, helped the boy (in the crime), he said.

The two accused children have sent to a remand home, police said.

Mumbai: The much-anticipated third phase of Mumbai’s Metro-3 Aqua Line, connecting Worli to Cuffe Parade, is set to miss its scheduled Independence Day inauguration, with officials now targeting a launch by the end of August.

Reason Behind Missing August 15 Deadline

The 9.1-km underground stretch was initially slated to open on August 15. However, a Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) official confirmed that construction at two crucial Kalbadevi stations is still underway. Work in the densely populated area has faced delays due to congested layouts and logistical challenges. “We are targeting an inauguration by the end of August.

The Metro-3 Aqua Line is expected to majorly ease north-south travel in the city once operational. The first two phases have already improved connectivity between Aarey and Worli, while the final leg will link commuters directly to Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai.

Meanwhile, on the eve of Independence Day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will preside over the inauguration of several other infrastructure projects across Mumbai. These include a 2.75-km flyover between Mumbai University and Vile Parle to ease the Santacruz bottleneck, a new bridge connecting Kalanagar and Dharavi for better east-west access and a Metro motormen training centre at Mandale to reduce dependence on outstation facilities.

Fadnavis will also inaugurate MMRDA staff quarters at Malvani and symbolically hand over keys to 556 tenants from the redeveloped BDD chawls in Worli, marking the completion of the project’s first phase. In addition, the International Experience Centre at Dabbewala Bhavan in Bandra West will be opened to celebrate Mumbai’s famed lunchbox delivery network.

While the city will benefit from the slew of new transport and housing initiatives, the delay in Metro-3’s completion means daily commuters will have to wait a little longer for seamless underground connectivity from Worli to South Mumbai.

Mumbai: The Kalachowki police have booked a Jain spiritual leader and unidentified members of a housing society for allegedly inciting hatred, threatening a resident and vandalising his vehicles, resulting in damages estimated at Rs 2 lakh.

About The Case

According to the FIR, Nirmal Kumar Ajayraj Sothani, 62, a businessman in the crusher machine industry, resides in Magnum Tower in Chivda Galli, Lalbaug, along with his wife and son. He alleged that Jain spiritual leader Nileshchandra even filed a false police complaint. Sothani alleged that after purchasing the flat six years ago, the society’s chairman, members and some residents continued to harass him and his son over parking disputes.

He added that he had repeatedly submitted written requests to the managing committee, seeking additional parking space. However, the committee allegedly targeted and antagonised him. The police complaint further said that religious programmes organised by the Jain community were being held on the building’s ground floor throughout the year, often involving the unauthorised use of gas cylinders and stoves for cooking. Sothani said that he had filed a complaint with the BMC, after which the civic officials conducted a raid on August 1 and confiscated the stoves and cylinders.

The action led to resentment among the residents, said the businessman, adding that they allegedly misinformed Nileshchandra about his involvement. In response, the latter is accused of delivering an inflammatory speech, urging residents to boycott Sothani and his son, and threatening to prevent them from entering the building. The businessman claimed that Nileshchandra also filed a false police complaint against him and his son.

On the same day following the BMC raid, some residents allegedly vandalised three of Sothani’s vehicles – an Ertiga, a Fortuner and a Suzuki Invicto – and smashed their windows. The move jeopardised their safety, he underlined. The Kalachowki police have registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 324(5) [whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of one lakh rupees or upwards] and 351(2) [criminal intimidation].