MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Monday said the state government and its officers should be “ashamed” about the inaction over a “shocking” party at a home for children with mental deficiencies in Mankhurd on December 31, 2012, wherein 26 female inmates were made to dance alongside bar dancers and liquor was served to the attendees.
The court was hearing a petition filed by activist Sangeeta Punekar in 2014, which alleged that the party was held at the Home For Mentally Deficient Children in Mankhurd, run by the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), a nonprofit. The state-aided home was established in 1941 and functioned under the aegis of the women and child development department till 2018, when it was transferred to the social justice and welfare department. It houses over 250 boys and girls who are certified as mentally challenged and committed to the home by the child welfare committee (CWC) and juvenile courts.
Months after the party was held at the boys’ complex in the children’s home at the instance of a donor, the staff wrote to the CAS governing council, intimating them about the matter and urging them to ensure such incidents did not recur in future. The staff also filed a complaint about the alleged party with the Trombay police, where a first information report was registered. Additionally, some children’s rights activists complained about the incident to the Child Welfare Committee, which led to the formation of a three-member committee to probe the matter. Members of the committee included the chairman of the CWC, the divisional deputy commissioner of Konkan, and an officer of the women and child development department.
Despite the complaints by the staff of the children’s home and activists and the subsequent probe, no action was taken, the petition alleged.
On Monday, the division bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep V Marne pulled up the authorities for their inaction for over 11 years.
“The petition was filed in 2014. It has been 11 years that it is pending. The effect of the incident cannot be diluted. What action have you taken in 11 years? You do not know. No action has been taken against the delinquents till date,” the court said.
Rapping the state government over the lax attitude of concerned authorities, the court stated, “You should be ashamed of your officers. It took 11 years and now you have the guts to say that we will find out so we continue the matter for another 25 years? Do you know the effect of keeping the petition pending?”
The division bench disposed of the petition with directions to the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to conduct a probe into the alleged party and submit a report to the state government within six weeks. The court also directed the government to take appropriate action against concerned individuals within three months of submission of the report.