The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday observed that if an incident like killing of 12-year-old Vinay Mahto in Sapphire School occurs in an educational institution, it must be closed immediately.
A division bench of Chief Justice Virender Singh and Justice S Chandrashekhar, while hearing a PIl filed by Parents Association of Ranchi in this regard, has also sought detailed status report from the DGP.
“Taking the matter very seriously, notices have been issued to the DGP, SSP, State of Jharkhand and Sapphire International School, asking them to reply by next Wednesday,” said petitioner’s advocate Khusboo Kataruka. Meanwhile, the DGP will also have to submit a copy of the FIR, autopsy report and other relevant papers related to the case to the court under his signature, she added.
The court also came down heavily on the petitioner for not making the school management a party and asked why its name has not been included into the list of respondents.
“It is not a matter of 2 acres of land going either to one party or the other; rather it’s a matter of public interest… very sensitive public interest. Hence, the school management must also be brought in,” said the court.
In its verbal observation, the court, expressing dissatisfaction over the security of children in schools, said, “If such an incident happens in a school, then it must be closed immediately…. It hardly matters that the owner of that school is a millionaire, billionaire or sitting over the helm of affairs.” The court, however, was of the view that schools should not be closed as it was a matter of hundreds of children studying there.
The court further asked the DGP to submit all documents related to FIR and also to tell what development have taken place in this regard. “If the doubts related to the investigations go in multiple directions, we will immediately order a CBI probe in the case,” said the court.
Not satisfied with the lackluster attitude adopted by the police and the school management, the court also said that such a serious incident happened in the school and the principal or anyone from the school management did not care to visit the victim’s parents or offer condolences to the demise of their child.
“Accidents could take place anywhere, but the approach was not acceptable,” said the court.
The court was also annoyed with the police for not providing the copy of the FIR to the parents of the victim even after five days of the incident.