Eleven boarding school employees were arrested on Thursday night for allegedly raping 12 minor tribal students of Ninadhi Ashram school in Buldhana, Maharastra. Of them, seven are teachers. The police said that the number of accused in the case may rise. The Maharashtra director-general of police on Friday formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case, reported ANI.

According to dna, the rapes took place happened before Diwali on the boarding school premises, which is located around 450 km from Mumbai. The assaults first came to light after the one of the girls complained of severe stomach pain when she had gone home for Diwali holidays. Soon, other cases also came to the fore.

The families then registered a complaint at Khamgaon police station in Buldhana. The girls, all between the ages of 12 to 14 years, have been admitted to a hospital in Akola district. According to reports, three girls are suspected to be pregnant.

Muktainagar MLA and former Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse assured that all possible help will be given to the families. “The government will take cognisance of the case and the culprits will be given capital punishment,” he said.