The Bombay High Court on Thursday called the sexual assault on two minor girls at their school in Badlapur “absolutely shocking” and said that there cannot be any compromise on the safety and security of girls.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said that action ought to be taken against the school authorities for not reporting the incident despite being aware of it. It also blasted the police over the delay in registering the FIR.
The court had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the incident where two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted inside the school’s washroom at Badlapur in Thane district by a male attendant on August 12 and 13.
The FIR in the case was lodged on August 16 and the accused was arrested on August 17, as per court documents.
The bench said the police machinery had not moved till the public hit the streets with a protest and outburst.
“Unless there is strong public outburst, machinery won’t move. Won’t the state move till public outbursts like this,” the court asked.