Mumbai: Principal & trustee booked for 'insult' to vision-impaired boy in Kandivli

MUMBAI: An FIR (First Information Report) has been registered against a Breach Candy-based 54-year-old trustee and the 55-year-old principal of a Kandivli school for allegedly subjecting a student, who is vision-impaired, to repeated harassment and for insulting him by claiming he could see everything.
The 16-year-old boy's family alleged that he consequently suffered from mental health issues. The duo were booked under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and the Juvenile Justice Act. The offences carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in jail.
Last week, a sessions court granted the duo anticipatory bail, observing that from photographs, it was prima facie evident that from time to time, the school as well as the accused facilitated the boy in his studies and sports. "The victim boy has been facilitated in presence of other students etc. Therefore, at present, there is (sic) no any continuous wilful negligence, abandonment of victim boy on the part of applicants," the sessions court said.
The court also pointed out that the alleged incident of insulting the boy took place behind closed doors. "As far as ingredients of section 92(a) of Right of Persons with Disabilities Act is concerned, for that offence, insult or humiliating behaviour with victim must be in any place within public view...But, as per contents in FIR the alleged insult or words used by the applicants (accused) to the victim boy are not in public at large," the court said.
The complainant is the teenage boy's aunt, who was his guardian. She told cops that his vision was impaired since birth.
The aunt said that he joined the school in 2011 and was well taken care of initially. She said that he was bright in studies and sports. The aunt alleged that in 2017, the accused were made the trustee and principal of the school. Later, she met them and requested a writer for exams. The aunt said that the duo insulted the boy by claiming he could see everything. She said that this upset the boy greatly and later, he was deliberately given low grades.
Seeking pre-arrest bail, the trustee and principal denied the allegations. They said they were falsely implicated over a dispute with the previous trustees. The aunt and the prosecution opposed their pleas for relief.
The sessions court, however, said that considering the nature of offences that have been alleged in this case, if pre-arrest bail is granted by imposing certain conditions, then no loss would be caused to the prosecution. The court directed them to attend the police station and not leave the country without its permission.