22 minors molested in ashram shala, accused arrested

A helper at Temba ashram school in the Thane district’s Shahapur region was arrested on August 26 for allegedly molesting 22 minor female students, a police official said on Friday (August 28, 2026).

The cook identified as Ganpat Gavli (35) is allegedly a repeat offender. According to Thane police, in 2024, he allegedly sexually molested a girl at another ashram shala. Gavli was on bail in the previous case when he joined Shahapur ashram shala as helper to the cook. 

On August 24, a 10th-grade student raised a complaint against Ganpat, saying Gavli cornered her and tried to sexually assault her. “21 other girls came forward, raising the indecent behaviour of the accused during the investigation,” a Thane police official said. He was arrested on Wednesday (Aug 26, 2026). 

Police have filed a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested the accused. The Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) officer Tejaswini R. Galande, said, “The accused is a repeated offender and previously worked at an ashram school in Aghai. He was 10 months away from his retirement.”

Before joining the ashram school in Temba, he was working at Moroshi Ashram school in Murbad. Police are investigating as to who appointed him, and why he was appointed despite having a criminal record.