The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the defence secretary following reports that an Army man sexually assaulted a school girl in April, PTI reported.

The panel reportedly took up the matter after the 15-year-old girl’s family claimed that her school in Maharashtra’s Latur district expelled her after the police registered a case. “My school has suspended my admission saying their reputation can be tarnished if I continue to study here,” the girl said on Monday. The jawan had allegedly raped the minor under the pretext of marriage in April. He has not been arrested.

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The girl’s uncle had alleged that the officials at Devni police station had demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 to lodge their complaint against the jawan, and an FIR was registered in August only after the family approached the superintendent of police.

The commission on Tuesday said that going by these reports, the attitude of the local police and the school administration was “highly sadistic and unethical”. The police acted in a “heartless manner”, the human rights panel added.

“The school authorities, instead of taking steps to counsel and support the victim, have decided to expel her from the school in the name of the reputation of the institution,” the commission said. “This is a case of grave violation of human rights of the victim.”

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The National Human Rights Commission commission issued a notice to the chief secretary, Maharashtra director general of police and the collector and district magistrate of Latur, and asked them to submit factual reports within four weeks.

The panel also sent a copy of the proceedings and the media reports to the defence secretary and asked about the departmental action that was taken against the Army man. The defence secretary is expected to reply within four weeks.