Bombay HC Rules Parents Of Accused Should Not Be Punished, Orders Govt To Provide Shelter And Employment

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday observed that the parents of the deceased accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case should not be punished and directed the Maharashtra government to explore options for their shelter and employment.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan briefly interacted with the accused’s parents. The accused, who was an attendant at the school, was arrested in August for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls in the school’s toilet. He was later shot dead in an alleged police encounter in September.

The parents informed the court that since their son’s arrest, they have faced relentless harassment and have been forced to leave their home in Badlapur.

“We have been thrown out of our house. We are living at the Kalyan railway station. We are also not able to find any job. We have no money,” they told the court.

Taking note of their plight, the bench asked public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar to examine if assistance could be provided by the state government or any NGO. “They (parents) are not the accused. It is not their fault. Why should they suffer? They should not be punished for something their son is accused of doing,” the bench said.

The judges stressed that the parents should not bear the brunt of public or governmental backlash. “What can be done? Can they not be rehabilitated somewhere with the help of the government? Some NGO can help find them a job or shelter. They need to be able to survive and have a livelihood,” the court remarked. The matter was adjourned for further hearing on January 13, 2025.

In the wake of the sexual assault incident, the court had taken suo motu cognizance of the case and directed the government to set up a committee of experts to prepare a report on the safety of children in schools and educational institutions. The committee is expected to submit its findings in January 2025.