Mumbai: In the case where four minor boys were booked by the Shivaji Park police for the alleged murder of a 16-year-old mentally-disabled fellow inmate, the police have now collected footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) as a form of evidence where the four are seen beating and trashing the victim that led to his death, inside the David Sassoon Industrial School and Children’s Home in Matunga.
The matter surfaced when the body of the boy was found in the common hall of the children’s home on Tuesday evening. The police had initially registered a case of accidental death, however, after they received the post-mortem report on Wednesday, they realised the injuries found on the body’s mark were due to external factors and trauma.
While investigating, it was found that four boys of the same facility allegedly had ganged up in the common hall and kicked and punched the victim repeatedly, which led to his death.
While talking to this newspaper, the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Pranaya Ashok, Zone V, said, “We are collecting all pieces of evidence that are available from the crime spot, including statements from every child or otherwise, who are known to be present during or before the act. The investigation is underway.”
The police have currently registered a case of murder against the four minors aged 7, 16, 15, and 12 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the police, the deceased boy was admitted to the facility in the first week of August by an unknown man. “The boy was wandering on the streets near Girgaum when a random man spotted him and informed DB Marg police station. The boy was then sent to the Children’s facility as per protocol by the Children Welfare Committee,” said an officer at Shivaji Park police station.
According to the officer, the victim had lost control of his bowel movements and defecated in the hall where he was kept. The reason for him being the target of bullies was because he could not speak clearly or scream while in danger. “The boy was mentally challenged and adding to that he could not speak clearly or scream, nobody in the facility noticed him when he was beaten up, or bullied by anyone,” the officer concluded.
