NEW DELHI – The 52-year-old owner and manager of the school and a 30-year-old female member of staff were arrested amid claims five pupils had been raped and abused.

“Horrific” allegations have emerged that the victims were forced to replicate the gratuitous scenes from porn films under the threat of being forced to consume “dog excreta” and “vomit” if they refused.

Police raided the Chandraprabha Charitable Trust school in India’s Karjat city after a charity raised the alarm in Maharashtra state.

Police confirmed the school had 28 live-in pupils, aged four to 14, for ten months of the year but most were on holiday at the time of the raid.

Officers were trying to find out whether other children were abused and if there were any further suspects.

Police say the residential school has been running since 2002, but was not registered and therefore escaped previous inspections by child welfare officials.

Concerns have been raised in the international community about the prevalence of child sex abuse in homes, schools, and residential care homes in India.