Bombay High Court Denies Bail in School Assault Case

The Bombay High Court has denied pre-arrest bail to two school trustees in the Badlapur sexual assault case involving two young girls. The court criticized the police for failing to arrest the trustees, expressing concern over the delayed investigation and the trustees' negligence in reporting the incident.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday denied pre-arrest bail to two school trustees implicated in the Badlapur sexual assault case, which involves two kindergarten girls. The court sharply criticized the police for their failure to apprehend the accused, highlighting a lack of promptness in the investigation.

A division bench condemned the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for not arresting the duo, questioning whether they were waiting for the suspects to secure pre-arrest bail. Subsequently, a different judge rejected the trustees' anticipatory bail applications, underscoring the serious nature of the offenses.

Justice R N Laddha noted the trustees, responsible for the school's management, were aware of the incidents but failed to report them to police, causing an unjustifiable delay. The court emphasized the psychologists scars left on the minor victims due to their trauma. The trustees argued their ignorance of the events, but Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar opposed their claims, pointing to their delay in taking action.

(With inputs from agencies.)