Badlapur sexual assault case: Chairperson, secretary of school approach HC seeking pre-arrest bail

The plea came up for hearing before a single-judge bench of Justice Rajesh N Laddha, who posted the matter for hearing on October 1.

The two were named as accused and were booked for offences punishable under Sections 65(2), 74, 75 and 76 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita and sections 2, 4, 8, 10 and 21 of the POCSO Act, 2012, for failing to report the incident to the police as per provisions of the POCSO Act.

After the Bombay High Court initiated suo motu PIL in relation to the Badlapur sexual abuse case and took a serious note of the matter, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the case included the names of the school’s principal, a teacher, and members of the management in the FIR for “failing to report” the sexual assault, as required under the POCSO Act.

The HC also expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation as the absconding accused linked to the school management remained at large and said the probe must be “watertight, proper, and uncompromised.”

Last week, the chairperson and the secretary of the Badlapur school were chargesheeted in the case for “failing to report” the sexual assault as required under the POCSO Act.