24 February,2022 08:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Krishna Nimesh Sheth has won several medals in sports competitions and has his name in the Limca Book of Records. Pic/Anurag Ahire
Krishna Nimesh Sheth, 16, a sports enthusiast, holds 107 medals and is even named in the Limca Book of Records. He is the only visually challenged child in India to pursue Taekwondo for which he has also won many accolades. However, his family claims that constant taunts by his previous principal pushed him into such a state of depression that he lost interest in studies as well as sports.
His aunt and guardian Tarlika Mehta, a Kandivli resident, has filed a complaint against the principal and trustees of Swami Vivekanand International School and Junior College at Kandivli police station. She has accused the principal, Saibala Shetty, of mentally harassing Krishna.
Mehta has been taking care of her nephew since he was six. "Krishna was born blind. Growing up, his talent became visible in sports and he was also very good at studies. His first race, in the community sports competition, was at the age of six and he secured the first position," she told mid-day. Krishna, who has been certified completely blind, is exceptionally good in Taekwondo and aspires to represent India in the Olympics, she added.
Krishna was admitted to Swami Vivekanand International School in 2011 and he was one of three visually impaired children. He started participating in various sports competitions and achieved great success in school, and seeing his talent, the management waived his fees.
"Till Std V, the then principal took care of Krishna and helped him in every way possible. When he was in the secondary section, the management changed and its behaviour towards Krishna was not good. Krishna stopped getting the facilities provided to him earlier. Principal Shethy taunted him for being differently-abled, and would say that he was given pity marks," the aunt claimed.
Shethy stopped providing a writer for Krishna for his exams, too, Mehta alleged. "Because of all this, his mental condition started deteriorating. We took him to a doctor who said sometimes there's a spark in his brain due to which he becomes blank for a certain time. He recovers after a little rest. This was the reason that we got him out of this school after he passed Std IX and admitted him to St Rocks High in Borivli last year in Std X.
"We thought everything would be fine in the new school, but Krishna's morale has deteriorated and he lost interest in studies and other activities. He has become irritable and doesn't talk to anyone at home," she added.
Mehta said she wrote a complaint to the Kandivli police, senior officers of North Region police, including additional commissioner and deputy commissioner of police Zone XII last month. She demanded that police register an FIR against Swami Vivekanand School's trustees and principal under IPC and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. "The Kandivli police told me to approach the Charity Commissioner, Maharashtra, for further action. The police recorded my statement on February 8, but, they have still not taken any action," Mehta said.
"I am surprised that Krishna's aunt has made such baseless allegations against me and my institution. Krishna is a role model for us and our students. He was our pride, and was the brightest, most brilliant and talented student we ever had. He has won many gold medals in various sports for our school. Who would not want such a student to stay in their school?" Shethy said. "The importance and care our teacher and counsellor has given Krishna, perhaps no one else would have. We have more than 5,000 students, of which more than 300 are differently-abled, but till today no parents have made such allegations. The police have recorded my statement. We have given all the documents related to Krishna. "Krishna's aunt told me that they were shifting to Gujarat and had applied for his leaving certificate. We gave him that," he added.
Senior Inspector Dinkar Jadhva of Kandivli police station said they are also taking the opinion of the legal team for further investigation.
Tejinder Bakshi, the principal of St Rock's School, said Krishna's mental condition was not too good in the beginning. "We tried very hard and the experts counselled him. Now his mental condition is improving," he added.
Krishna Sheth has won 45 gold, 35 silver and 27 bronze medals at district, state, national and international levels, in different kinds of sports. The National Association for the Blind had issued a magazine in 2016 on Krishna's achievement in various fields and named him a âWonder Kid'.
