Pune: Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, made a shocking revelation that a local political leader helped the accused school van driver flee, after the sexual assault case of a six-year-old school girl was reported. Fadnavis made this statement while speaking to reporters in Nagpur.

Fadnavis stated that preliminary investigations by the police have indicated that local leaders provided assistance to the accused in escaping.

"In such cases, I do not consider political affiliations. An accused is an accused. Strict action will be taken against the accused as well as those who helped him escape," he said.

The police are also investigating whether more victims were involved in this case. Fadnavis elaborated that the driver had inappropriately touched the children while they were in the school van.

After one girl reported the incident to her parents, a complaint was filed, and it was revealed that another girl had been similarly mistreated. The accused has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and school administrators have been called in for questioning.

Fadnavis also urged all school authorities to exercise stricter supervision over their transportation systems, emphasizing the importance of background checks and proper monitoring of drivers and other staff for the safety of the children.

Pune Police have arrested the accused, Sanjay Jeting Reddy (45), a resident of Vaiduwadi, Hadapsar), under the POCSO Act. The incident came to light when the victim informed her father of the misconduct after returning from school.

Upon further inquiry, she disclosed that "Sanjay Uncle" had acted inappropriately and that he had also mistreated a classmate.