The Bombay High Court has ordered a fast-tracked trial for the Badlapur school sexual assault case involving two young girls. In August 2022, a school attendant allegedly assaulted them before being killed in a police shootout. A Special Investigation Team has implicated several school officials for failing to report the incident. The next hearing is set for January 20.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed that the trial in the Badlapur school sexual assault case involving two young girls, aged four and five, must be fast-tracked to ensure timely justice. The incident, which occurred in August last year, has raised concerns over the safety of children in schools and the need for expeditious judicial proceedings.
In August 2022, a male school attendant allegedly sexually assaulted two minor girls inside the toilet of their school in the Badlapur area of Thane district, Maharashtra. Following his arrest, the accused was killed in a police shootout while being transported from jail for questioning.
The Maharashtra government established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, and the SIT has since filed a chargesheet. The chargesheet implicates not only the accused attendant but also the school’s headmaster and two management members for “failing to report” the assault, a violation under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The High Court took suo motu cognisance of the case after it emerged that the Badlapur police had delayed lodging an FIR. On Monday, public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar informed a bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale that the investigation was complete, the chargesheet had been filed, and the trial was set to begin.
“The case will have to be fast-tracked and conducted expeditiously as the victim girls are of a very young age,”
the court stated.
The court also highlighted that under the POCSO Act, a woman prosecutor must be present during the victims’ examination. Venegaonkar assured the court that a lady prosecutor had been appointed to assist the special public prosecutor.
The High Court scheduled the next hearing for January 20, by which the prosecution must provide an update on the trial’s progress.
Additionally, the court previously ordered the formation of a committee of experts to assess child safety in schools and other educational institutions. However, Venegaonkar informed the bench that the committee’s report of recommendations is still pending. The court requested the report to be submitted before the next hearing.
Venegaonkar also mentioned that the Maharashtra government has guaranteed free education for the victim girls until Class 8.
“A proposal has been made to make their education free for Classes 9 and 10 too,”
he added.
The High Court will also address a petition filed by the father of the deceased attendant, alleging that his son was killed in a fake police encounter.
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