The protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra's Thane district turned violent on Tuesday as the angry agitators vandalised the school and also indulged in stone-pelting at the local railway station during the 'rail blockade', police said.
Two girl students of a kindergarten at the school in Badlapur were allegedly sexually abused by a male attendant recently.
The accused was arrested last week, they said.
Angry parents of the school children and local citizens, including many women, gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning and also held a 'rail roko' protest at the Badlapur railway station, blocking the path of suburban trains from around 8.30 am.
They demanded action against the school and strict punishment against the accused involved in the incident.
Some of the protesters, including women, later broke the gate of the school and vandalised it by breaking the window panes, benches and doors, police said.
The protest led to the diversion of 10 long-distance trains via alternate routes, the Central Railway said.
As protesters came on railway tracks and blocked traffic, local train services between Ambernath and Karjat stations were suspended from 10.10 am.
At least 10 mail-express trains, including Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express, were diverted via Karjat-Panvel-Thane stations, said Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer (CRPO) of Central Railway.
He said local trains between CSMT and Ambarnath stations are running normally; services between Badlapur and Karjat remain suspended.
In view of the protest, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) deployed additional personnel at stations on the Kalyan-Karjat section of Central Railway, Nila said.
Senior Divisional Security Manager along with 60 jawans and 10 officials of RPF, are closely monitoring the situation at Badlapur station with the Government Railway Police (GRP) staff.
The Maharashtra government has ordered the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged sexual abuse.
The SIT will be headed by Inspector General of Police-rank officer Aarti Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the Home Department, stated on X.
Fadnavis stated he has directed the Thane Police Commissioner to prepare a proposal to try the case in a fast-track court.
The school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant, over the incident.
A call for Badlapur bandh has been given by several organisations to protest against the incident.
