Mumbai toddler rape case: Mother of child blames cops for accused roaming free

The Malad residence of the accused, which he is said to frequent

The mother of the three-year-old child, sexually assaulted by the trustee of a reputable city school in Andheri last year, is furious about him getting a breather from the Supreme Court until April 13. "Had the police intervened in time, the accused would not have got the time to get a stay order from the Supreme Court. I have fought this all alone and will keep fighting for justice," the determined woman told mid-day on Friday. The bail of the accused trustee had been cancelled by the Bombay High court on April 2, yet he was not arrested.

The Malad residence of the accused; the watchmen of the building that the family of the accused lives in at Andheri said they had neither seen him nor the cops in the building. Pics/Nimesh Dave

Relief from Apex Court
The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim relief to the alleged accused, a French national and trustee of an international school in the suburbs, until next Friday. The alleged accused had been charged for aggravated sexual assault on a KG student. The high court had rejected his bail on April 2 and had ordered him to surrender before the authority concerned immediately.

Lawyer for the child's family, Vijay Hiremath, said the police should have arrested him as soon as the order was passed, yet did not. We have failed to understand why the police did not act swiftly on this matter. The stay from the SC is interim relief, not a permanent stay.

However, counsel for the accused, SB Shetty, said he was never absconding and has been co-operating with the police. My client is a French national, and when he was served notice last year, he returned to India from France within three days. When mid-day asked him why the alleged accused did not surrender before the police soon after the high court order and where was he at the moment, Shetty said, "Woh kahin honge [he must be somewhere]. We did not get a certified order copy, and my client was not present in court on Monday. On Thursday, the copy was uploaded online, yet till today we have not received the certified copy. My client, meanwhile, approached the Apex Court, who gave him interim relief based on this.

Home of accused
mid-day reached the residence of the alleged accused in Andheri West, where his wife and two daughters reside. His daughters refused to give any details about the matter but confirmed that their father had got an interim relief from SC. A police had even been sent to his residence in Andheri, but the watchmen of the building said they neither saw the accused nor the police visit the apartment.

Lookout notice
A source from the police told mid-day that a look out notice (LOC) was issued against the alleged accused on Thursday night. A police team was supposed to keep a close eye on him.

The case
In June 2017, the MIDC police booked one of the founders of a posh Andheri school for allegedly sexually assaulting a three-year-old student, after her parents lodged a complaint. The complainant - the child's mother - had told the police that the incident had taken place about four months ago.

Also Read: Exclusive: Mumbai Toddler Rape Case Takes A New Turn Thanks To Police Apathy

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