Overview

• Five staff members, including RS Damani School principal Madhuri Gaikwad and attendant Nanda Maushi, have been arrested and remanded to custody until July 15
• Police have charged the accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 74 and 76 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for alleged assault and forced disrobing
• The private school remains closed as Thane Rural Police pursue the criminal case and the Block Education Officer leads a parallel administrative inquiry
• Parents staged ongoing protests demanding accountability and better menstrual hygiene facilities such as sanitary napkin vending machines and grievance redressal committees
• The Maharashtra State Women’s Commission has called for cancelling the school’s recognition while safeguarding the students’ uninterrupted education and counselling support