A 58-year-old IAS officer has been arrested here on charges of allegedly raping and molesting a minor girl.
Police said the officer, Maruti H Sawant, is currently associated with the Maharashtra State Agriculture, Education and Research Institute at Bhosalenagar.
As per reports, he has also been accused of sexually assaulting three other minor girls.
All the girls were studying at a municipal school in Hingne Khurd, in classes third, fifth and seventh.
A case has been registered against Sawant under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act.
According to police, the IAS officer used to lure the girls by offering them money and chocolates while they were playing in the parking lot of a housing society at Hingne Khurd.
While Sawant resides in a flat at Shivajinagar along with his family, he occasionally used to come to his father-in-law’s flat near the girls’ school at Hingne Khurd. This is when he used to commit the crime.
As per police, Sawant used to sexually exploit the girls after showing them obscene material on his computer.
The matter came to light after the girl, who was allegedly raped, spoke to her school counsellor and reported the matter.