Mumbai: Court acquits 2 teachers accused of hitting autistic child

Citing the delay of five days in lodging the police complaint, a Girgaon magistrate court acquitted two teachers who were accused of hitting and thereby injuring a 10-year-old autistic child. Notably, during cross-examination, the child's father said that he did not wish to pursue the matter further as they (man and the teachers) have reached out of court settlement.

Ram Kadam and Rima Gosavi who taught at the Santhosh Institute of Mentally Challenged Children located near Opera House were booked under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act section 75 (punishment for person having control over child assaulting, abusing, etc) and section 85 (offences committed on disabled children).

Accused went to the child's home and confessed

Initially, the duo claimed that the child had fallen from a bicycle and injured his face and hands, but allegedly confessed to the abhorrent act when the parents didn't believe the story and approached the police. Subsequently, they went to the child's home and confessed that they assaulted the minor as he used to often get annoyed and bite them.

Mother's testimony not recorded

In his judgment, Metropolitan Magistrate Krishnarao K Patil said that the testimony of the child's mother before whom the duo made the confession was not recorded. Pointing out the lapses in the case, the court said the first information report was filed five days after the issue cropped up while highlighting that neither the child’s X-ray nor the CCTV footage of the school was produced before it. Lastly, the court underlined that the child was also not examined during the trial.

According to police, the school had said that its CCTV cameras were not working at the time of the incident.