3 probes into incident, minister promises action for negligence

The women and child development department will conduct an inquiry into the death of 17-year-old Amir Ahmed after an alleged assault at the David Sassoon Children’s Home at Matunga on Thursday.

The juvenile home has 54 staff members including a superintendent, deputy superintendent, clerks, probationary officers and 22 guards. “We will initiate action, if we find there was negligence on part of the staff members,” said women and child welfare minister Vidya Thakur.

Two other probes – by deputy commissioner of Konkan division of the department, BT Pokharkar, and by the three officers of the Children’s Aid Society that run the two juvenile homes in the city (Dongri and Matunga) – too are being conducted into the incident.

Preliminary probe has revealed that five inmates of the children’s home, including Amir, had tried to escape. “They broke a part of the door. While two of them escaped, Amir got stuck in the door. The fellow inmates saw him there and then beat him up,” said an official .

According to sources, one of the two boys who fled has been caught.

While the department has blamed the police for lack of surveillance, the official said there are two policemen posted around-the-clock. “We will install closed circuit television cameras inside the dormitories. We will also hold yoga sessions for the inmates,” Thakur said.