India, Aug. 28 -- A 59-year-old assistant cook at an Ashramshala boarding school for marginalised communities in Shahapur taluka, Thane district, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly sexually molesting more than 20 minor girls. Police revealed that the accused is a repeat offender who was transferred to the current facility from another ashramshala in Agai village, Shahapur, two years ago following similar allegations of misconduct.

The boarding school serves boys and girls from marginalised backgrounds, particularly Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. Student residential quarters are divided between the upper floors, with girls housed on the third floor and boys on the first, while the dining hall operates on the ground floor.

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