'Rapist' school trustee flees with family
Sources allege that the cops were careless and it led to the trustee's escape.
Mumbai: The 58-year-old trustee of an Andheri school, who is facing a police probe for allegedly raping a three-year-old girl in November 2016, has absconded with his family after the Bombay high court cancelled his bail on Monday and asked him to
surrender. The police’s delay in taking action encouraged him to escape, alleged sources.
The accused trustee, who was out on bail, was recently asked to surrender to the court or police after Justice Revati Mohite-Dere on Monday cancelled the bail granted to him on the application filed by parents of the girl as well as some other parents whose children are studying in this school.
ACP Milind Khetle (Saki Naka division) said, “We were waiting for the judgement copy, as without it we cannot act on speculation and make arrests. We received the order copy on Thursday, following which we sent a team at trustee’s Malad residence only to find the door locked.” He further added, “We will question his ex-wife in the case to know about his whereabouts.”
A police officer said, on the condition of anonymity, “The police were waiting for him to come and surrender himself since Monday. As he failed to turn up, a police team was sent to nab him.”
A source said that the police is handling the case casually as they easily skipped the part of sending a team to the other residences of the accused trustee which is located at Andheri’s Yari Road. The source added, “The trustee managed to run away with because of the police’s laid-back attitude.”
While cancelling the bail, the HC also directed that the trial should be quickly concluded — preferably within four months of passing this order because the child is very young and her memories would fade as she grows up.
Although the alleged incident of rape took place in late 2016, it came to light only in May 2017, when the child’s parents noticed changes in her behaviour, and found she had
difficulty in sitting and walking.
When the parents asked her it anyone had hurt her or touched her inappropriately she answered in affirmation and identified the photograph of the founder trustee who allegedly hurt her.