YPS molestation case: Darda PCR till July 7

Yavatmal: Chairman of Yavatmal Public School (YPS) management committee, Kishor Darda, arrested in the wee hours of Monday, will remain in Yavatmal police custody till July 7 after additional district and sessions court judge Wankhede granted police request to extend his PCR.
Kishor Darda, who was arrested by a special investigation team (SIT) from Nagpur’s Sonegaon international airport, was produced before the court on Tuesday on expiry of his one-day PCR.He was wanted in connection with a case of molestation of girls by two teachers in the YPS, run by Jawaharlal Darda Education Society (JDES).
Local crime branch chief Sanjay Deshmukh said earlier the court had ordered magisterial custody remand for Darda in a case filed against him on June 29. However, as a fresh FIR was lodged against Darda and other accused on July 3, the court granted PCR for two more days.
The accused teacher-duo — Yash Borundiya, Amol Kshirsagar — has also been granted PCR till July 7, while the YPS principal and secretary of the school management committee, Jacob Das, was granted MCR till July 7.
School reopens, attendance thin
Earlier in the day, the school, which was closed after the molestation claims surfaced and parents reacted angrily, reopened on Tuesday but saw thin attendance.
“It has been decided that the school will function on regular basis from July 7 onwards, as Wednesday is a holiday,” informed education officer Dr Suchita Patekar, who has been appointed as coordinator by the state government.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has joined the protests with party chief Raj Thackeray addressing the aggrieved parents on phone and extending support to the agitation.
MNS leader Balasaheb Nandgaonkar said Thackeray has demanded noose for the culprit-teachers. “Nobody would accept such an incident (molestation of schoolgirls) and it is not only shameful but also unpardonable,” Nandgaonkar said, adding the police should not try to hush up the case and warned ‘MNS-style’ agitation.
“MNS will take up the issue with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and request him to effect change in the school management at the earliest,” Nandgaokar said.