Probe ’12 New Year party at children’s home: HC to cops

The judges were taken aback to learn that 26 mentally challenged girls were reportedly also made to attend the party.

Expressing shock over a New Year’s eve party allegedly organised at a children’s home in Mankhurd in 2012, the Bombay High Court Wednesday directed the Mumbai Police Crime Branch to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by activist Sangeeta Punekar citing media reports based on the incident. A newspaper report had stated that there was champagne popping, showering of money on bar dancers and alcohol was served at the party on December 31, 2012.

The judges were taken aback to learn that 26 mentally challenged girls were reportedly also made to attend the party.

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Punekar’s PIL urged the court to direct the police to file an FIR against the organisers of the party that was allegedly held in the boys’ section of the government-run home. She contended that the investigation carried out by the Trombay police was shoddy as a clean chit had been given to the organisers of the party.

Assistant government pleader G W Mattos said that the issue was sensitive and a proper inquiry was not conducted in the case. Asking the court to hand over the probe to the crime branch, he said a case had been made based on the preliminary investigation carried out by the police.

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