MAPUSA: JMFC court Mapusa acquitted Balkrishna Busa, a parent who went on ninety one days hunger strike to seek justice against the harassment done to his two daughters by the School Authority of High School, in Taleigao. Busa was booked under section 323,356 and 504 IPC by Porvorim police.
Advocate Pratik Korgaonkar argued that Busa was falsely connected in the said criminal case by the director of education. Pratik claimed that the Director of Education used government machinery against Busa to stop his hunger strike against the department; Neither Busa had assaulted the director nor obstructed him from carrying out his official duty.
This incident was reported in the year 2014, where Busa had filed a complaint in the Education Department, police as well as to then Chief Minister against the school authorities of the Taligao High School for harassing her minor daughters during school hours by using filthy and abusive words and made them clean the school toilets, forcing them to eat near the toilets, calling them OBC etc just because the students had denied to write complaint against a teacher teaching in the school. Daughters of Busa were studying in Class VII and Class VIII.
Complaints were also made to then Deputy Director of Education, Gajanan Bhat, requesting him to take necessary action against the headmistress. However, the director failed to initiate any actions. Parents then approached the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, who then took up the matter and an order was passed in favor of the parents where children’s court directed the director of education to initiate disciplinary action against the said headmistress however the director failed to take action.
Followed by which, Busa filed a Writ Petition bearing no. 153/2015 before the High Court seeking relief to implement the said order. By order dated 2107/2015, the HC had advised the Director of Education to initiate action against the school management in terms of the law Despite the High Court Order, the director of education failed to take action against the headmistress.
With no action by the Department, Balkrishna Busa in the year 2017 was forced to sit on a hunger strike outside the Education Department, Porvorim for 91 days and after that for 9 days at Azad Maidan, Panjim to seek justice for his minor daughters.
After that, on 05/04/2017, the then Director Gajanan Bhat, filed a police complaint at Porvorim Police station against Balkrishna Busa, alleging that he was assaulted and obstructed from carrying out his official duties. As a result, Porvorin police had registered an FIR no: 50/2017 against Balkrishna Busa nd had then arrested him from the place where he was carrying on the strike.
Balkrishna Busa was charged under sections 353,323 and 504 of IPC. Thereafter, Porvorim Police filed a charge sheet against him before the JMPC, Mapusa. This year the JMFC Court Mapusa acquitted busa in the case.
Meanwhile, as per sources, the Director of Education has till date not initiated any action against the headmistress of the said high school. Balkrishna Busa says that he has full faith in the judicial system and will continue to fight the battle until he seeks justice for his daughters.
