HC allows ex MLA to run Rajura school for new academic year

Nagpur: In a partial relief to former Congress MLA Subhash Dhote regarding sexual abuse cases of eight tribal minors in his school at Rajura, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Friday allowed the management led by him to take back control of the school, as classes would be commencing from next month.

A specially constituted division bench of justices Zaka Haq and Vinay Joshi restrained him from taking over the premises of tribal hostel where the minors were sexually assaulted, allegedly by the school authorities.

Currently, the hostel was sealed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after the inquiry was handed over to it by the government.

The bench also rejected Dhote’s prayer to recall two orders of April 18 and 22 delivered by HC while hearing the case filed by aggrieved mothers of the survivors demanding action against the guilty persons.

The judges clarified that they are modifying the orders but wouldn’t allow the school management under Dhote to take charge of hostels, which were sealed by the cops. They had also taken an undertaking from Dhote’s counsel in this regard before allowing him to run the school.

Earlier, the government in its reply informed that it had shifted 292 tribal students to Eklavya Model Residential School at Dewada which is also in Rajura. The tribal development department is planning to shift maximum students so that there is a minimum inconvenience of transition to the school. The department had already passed an order removing the school from ‘Namankit Shala Yojna’.

Petitioner’s counsel Firdos Mirza pointed out that though the government shifted tribal students, the fate to others studying in same school was uncertain due to closure of the school.

On April 18, the HC constituted a panel under Chandrapur additional session judge SS Ansari to verify the petitioners’ grievances and to redress them. The panel was asked to ensure that medical aid is promptly and properly made available to the survivors. Its members were granted liberty to take appropriate action in the children’s welfare and told to approach HC through registrar (Judicial/Administration) for appropriate orders/directives.

The HC had further directed Chandrapur collector and superintendent of police (SP) to immediately take over the school’s supervision and girls hostel. Both were asked not to permit any private party, including the school’s office bearers, to interfere with the administration. They were told to ensure that minors aren’t put to any inconvenience and no males should be allowed to enter into premises and even females having HC panel’s permission should get only get entry.

On April 22, the HC had directed the government to pay Rs3 lakh compensation to the survivors. Importantly, the HC had asked mothers of survivors to add management of ‘Infant Jesus English Public High School’ as respondents in the case and issued notices to its chairman Subhash Dhote and secretary Arun Dhote.