Nagpur: Five more students allege molestation by karate instructor arrested for rape

After the arrest of a karate instructor for allegedly raping an 11-year-old student in Nagpur, five more girls have come forward, claiming to have been molested by him, police said on Wednesday.

The Kanhan police on Wednesday registered five more FIRs against Gopal Rameshwar Gondane, 40, who has been arrested in the rape case, an official said.

“Godane had allegedly molested his minor students over the last six months. He took the victims to isolated places on the pretext of sharpening their skills for getting them selected in the Indian Army and outraged their modesty,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) (Nagpur Rural) Vijay Magar.

The accused would fetch his students from their homes and take them on his motorcycle for practice. In this manner, he gained the confidence of their parents, he said.

Magar further appealed to people to lodge complaints against the accused at Kanhan police station and assured all help to the victims. “Gondane had stopped his training classes during the Covid crisis but had resumed them after the lifting of the Covid restrictions. He is currently in police custody,” said SP Magar.

The first FIR was registered against Gondane last week, for allegedly raping an 11-year-old student in an isolated spot on the pretext of taking her to karate class.