On Monday, the Bombay High Court said, “The trial in last year’s Badlapur school sexual assault case should be fast-tracked as the victim girls are very young”.
Last year in August, two girls aged four and five were sexually assaulted inside the school toilet in the Badlapur area of Maharashtra’s Thane district.
The accused was earlier arrested and later killed in a shootout with police when he was being taken from jail for questioning.
The Maharashtra government has set up a (SIT) Special Investigation to probe the case and has filed a chargesheet.
After the incident came to light, the high court took suo motu cognisance that the local Badlapur police had not taken prompt action to lodge an FIR in the case.
Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale were informed by the public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar on Monday that the probe into the case is over the chargesheet filed. Now, the trial will be held.
The court said, “The case will have to be fast-tracked and conducted expeditiously as the victim girls are of very young age.”
The court further said, “As mandated under the POCSO Act, a woman prosecutor would have to be present while examining the girls.”
The bench also ordered last year that a committee of experts be formed to examine the safety of children in schools and other educational institutions.
On Monday, Vengaonkar said, “The committee was yet to submit its report of recommendations.”
“If by the next hearing date, the report is submitted, the same shall be produced before it, too”, said the High Court.
Venegaonkar also said, “As per the Maharashtra government’s policy, the girls’ education would be free of cost till Class 8.
He further stated, “A proposal has been made to make their (victim girls) education free for classes 9 and 10 too.”
The high court will also hear the petition filed by the father of the deceased attendant on January 20, alleging that his son was killed in a fake encounter by the police.
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