Locals protest Class 6 student's death after '100 sit-ups' punishment at Palghar school
Palghar PTI): Locals staged a protest over the death of a 12-year-old girl, who was allegedly made to perform 100 sit-ups as punishment for coming late to school in Maharashtra's Palghar district.
Following the protest, the police registered a case in this regard late on Saturday night.
Statements of the family, witnesses and school employees will be recorded, an official said.
Locals gathered in large numbers at Sativali in Vasai East on Saturday night and refused to cremate the body of a Class 6 student, who passed away at a hospital in Mumbai on Friday night.
The girl was allegedly made to perform 100 sit-ups after she reached the school late on November 8. The deceased girl's mother has alleged that her daughter died as a result of an "inhuman punishment" given by her teacher, who made her perform sit-ups with her school bag on her back.
Locals have accused the school administration of negligence and demanded immediate accountability.
When the girl's body was brought to the locality, hundreds of residents gathered, demanding a case against the school and the concerned teacher.
It was only after the police registered a case and assured the family of strict action that the cremation was carried out late in the night.
Talking to PTI, Vasai Block Education Officer Pandurang Galange said that officials had visited the school on Saturday, but no staff member was present.
"Education officials will visit the school on Monday for an inquiry," he said, adding that the department would cooperate fully with the police investigation and initiate appropriate action based on the findings.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
