Court imposes ₹300 on Mayor Ritu Tawde for skipping hearings in 2016 assault case

MUMBAI: Mayor Ritu Tawde has been let off from appearing before a sessions court in a 2016 case alleging the assault of two municipal school teachers, but the exemption has come with a ₹300 price tag

MUMBAI: Mayor Ritu Tawde has been let off from appearing before a sessions court in a 2016 case alleging the assault of two municipal school teachers, but the exemption has come with a ₹300 price tag.

Court imposes ₹300 on Mayor Ritu Tawde for skipping hearings in 2016 assault case

Additional Sessions Judge G G Bhansali on Tuesday allowed Tawde’s application seeking exemption from personal appearance, but directed her to deposit ₹300 with the government before the next hearing. The court noted that she had already been granted exemption as a “last chance” on three earlier occasions, yet continued to remain absent and file fresh applications.

“Despite aforesaid three orders, the accused are continuously absent and filing applications for exemption,” the court observed.

The case dates back to July 29, 2016, when Tawde, then a BJP corporator, and six others allegedly entered a municipal Urdu-medium school in Vakola following a dispute over the transfer of a teacher who was suffering from cancer. According to the prosecution, a heated argument broke out with the school management, following which two teachers were allegedly assaulted.

The FIR in the case was registered at Vakola police station on August 11, 2016. Earlier this year, the sessions court had rejected Tawde’s plea seeking discharge from the case, holding that statements of the two alleged victims and other witnesses provided sufficient material to frame charges against her.