HC asks Thane SP to handle Vasai girl’s death probe
The superintendent of police, Thane, has been directed by the Bombay High Court to look into the alleged rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl who was found dead in Vasai.
The superintendent of police, Thane, has been directed by the Bombay High Court to look into the alleged rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl who was found dead in Vasai.
The division bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and AP Bhangale has asked SP Vishwas Nangre-Patil to examine the points raised by the girl’s father, Rajesh Pawar, and submit his affidavit by November 26.
On August 30, the victim, a Class 8 student of Holy Cross High School in Nallasopara (West) had gone to the Tungareshwar hills with around 225 students, as part of a scouts and guides camp, organised by the school. Four teachers had accompanied the students.
The girl’s father had approached the court alleging that the police failed to probe the case. Stating that his daughter, whose body was found in a river near Tungareshwar temple, died under mysterious circumstances, Pawar sought proper investigation by an independent agency.
His advocates Shyam Marwadi and Shailesh Redekar argued that the girl had gone for a picnic along with another 225 students. Ganesh Sovani, advocate for the investigating officer and the deputy superintendent of police said the police did not find any evidence of rape or murder.
“After the body was found, the deputy SP had camped in the area with nearly 150 police personnel for investigation,” argued Sovani. The police will be filing “C” summary (closure report) in the father’s complaint, as there was no case of rape and murder, he added.
Marwadi argued that the police also did not question the doctors who had conducted the post-mortem. “The initial report suggests there was possibility that she was raped and then killed,” he argued. “The police have also lodged a case against the school under section 304 (a) (death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code,” he told the.
The judges have asked Pawar to give his grievances with regard to the investigation in writing to Nangre-Patil.