Parents seek bail cancellation of rape accused

Mumbai: The parents of students of an Andheri-based private school have approached the Bombay high court seeking a restraining order against the school’s trustee, who was accused of raping a four-year-old student in 2016. The parents of the victim and other students approached the court after the trustee allegedly started visiting the school again after being released on bail. The court has asked the accused trustee to respond to the parents’ claims.

A bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dhere was hearing the intervention application filed by the students’ parents seeking cancellation of the accused’s bail as his presence in the school campus was allegedly a cause of concern for students and parents. Advocate Devyani Kulkarni, on behalf of the petitioners informed the court that the presence of the accused trustee in the school premises could also allegedly result in witnesses from the school being intimidated and influenced, which would in turn affect the trial.

After hearing the submissions of the parents, the court asked the accused trustee to reply as to why he should not be restrained from visiting the school, and in light of the concerns raised by the parents, why his bail should not be cancelled.