Mumbai Shocker: Kandivali's Swagat Ashram Warden Booked For Allegedly Assaulting 2 Minors, Investigation Underway

Mumbai: The Charkop Police have booked a 21-year-old warden of Swagat Ashram, Rajesh Kumar, for allegedly physically assaulting two minors at the ashram in Kandivali West. The accused allegedly grabbed an 11-year-old boy by the throat and slapped him multiple times after the boy and his cousin woke up late.

According to the FIR, the two minors were found on platforms 13 and 14 at Dadar railway station by a passerby, who took them to the Dadar Government Railway Police (GRP) station. During questioning, the boys told the police that they had run away from Swagat Ashram in Ganesh Nagar, Kandivali West, because they were allegedly being assaulted by the warden. The police conducted their medical examination and produced them before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The 11-year-old boy told the GRP that he had been living with his parents in Mankhurd and had studied up to Class 4 at a BMC school. However, his parents frequently quarrelled, following which he began living with his grandmother. His father died in September 2025, after which his mother admitted him and his younger brother to Swagat Ashram for further education and care.

According to the complaint, on June 8, the warden assigned the 11-year-old boy and his cousin the task of filling water at 4 a.m. The boys completed the work between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. and then went back to sleep. They woke up around 6 a.m., and the younger boy started working in the kitchen. The warden allegedly became angry because they had woken up late. He allegedly punched the 11-year-old boy twice on his back. When the child turned around, the warden allegedly grabbed him tightly by the throat and slapped him several times. The FIR further states that the warden threw a bottle at another  boy with the intention of causing harm.

Following the alleged assault, the two minors decided to run away from the ashram. The 14-year-old allegedly approached a vegetable vendor, claiming that the warden had asked him to collect money, and obtained Rs 100. Between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the same day, the boys left the ashram, took an autorickshaw to Kandivali railway station, and boarded a Churchgate-bound local train to Dadar.

The boys planned to travel to the 11-year-old's mother's house in Ahilyanagar. They inquired at the ticket counter about the train to Ahilyanagar and waited on platforms 13 and 14. A passerby noticed the minors and, suspecting something was wrong, took them to the Dadar GRP station.

After completing the medical examination and other legal formalities, the Charkop Police registered a case against Rajesh Kumar on June 28 under Section 75 (cruelty to children) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation is underway.

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