Nashik cops book 8 Class X students under Pocso for assaulting younger boys (Representative image)

NASHIK: The Nashik rural police registered a case under relevant sections of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) against eight Class X students for forcing eight younger students, of Classes V and VI, into unnatural sex at a govt hostel in the district.A complaint was lodged with the police on Tuesday. SP Balasaheb Patil visited the hostel to take stock of the investigation.“The Class X students had been forcing the younger students into unnatural sex as part of ragging. As per the statement of the victims, they were being sexually assaulted for the past six to seven months. On Feb 22, they even brought the matter to the notice of the superintendent of the hostel,” SP Patil said.“The superintendent then contacted the parents of the eight Class X boys and asked them to take the older boys home. He also called the parents of the victims. A parent of one of the victims registered a complaint against the Class X boys on Tuesday,” he added.The police have started the process of detaining the senior students. They will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board for necessary legal proceedings. Three hostel employees, including the hostel superintendent, were also booked, as even after getting to know of the abuse, they did not inform the police.The boy’s hostel, with a capacity of 60 students, currently houses 48 students.