Minister Halarnkar Demands Suspension of Colvale Police Inspector Over Lax Investigation

Medical examinations revealed that the 9 yr student suffered as many as 32 injuries - Halarnkar

Published on:

05 Sep 2024, 7:47 pm

In a case of student assault that has sparked outrage across the state, Minister Neelkanth Halarnkar has demanded the immediate suspension of the Colvale Police Inspector, accusing the police of showing deliberate negligence in their investigation of a brutal assault on a 9-year-old student from Camurlim Primary School.

The incident, which occurred on September 2, Colvale police arrested two teachers, Sujal Gawde and Kanisha Gadekar on Thursday.

Both the accused teachers have been remanded to 5 days of police custody for further investigation.

Despite the arrests, Minister Halarnkar has criticized the police for imposing weak charges, citing that sections 118, 126(2), and 351 applied in the case were insufficient given the severity of the crime.

The student, who sustained 32 injuries, was again been admitted to the district hospital for treatment on Thursday The accused teachers reportedly failed to provide medical assistance to the child after the incident, which further intensified public anger

The police kept the injured child and his father in the station for five and a half hours without filing a case, only accepting a formal complaint late in the evening. The father of the child was later called by the police and informed that FIR has been registered which was completely lie. Only a 141 notice had been issued to the accused teachers

Neelkanth Halarnkar - Minister , Animal Husbandry

Halarnkar's Call for Justice

Neelkanth Halarnkar, who is also the MLA for Thivim alleged that the police intentionally delayed registering the case and compromised with a former village Sarpanch to suppress the matter. Halarnkar claimed that the teachers were only arrested after he personally intervened by contacting the Director General of Police

Outrage Over Lax Investigation

Halarnkar warned that if immediate action isn't taken to suspend the inspector, protests would be organized to ensure justice for the victim. "There is widespread anger across the state, and people are shocked by the brutality with which a 9-year-old child was treated like an animal," Halarnkar stated.The Minister highlighted the urgency of the situation, stressing that legal negligence on the part of the police could lead to a further erosion of public trust in the system.

32 Wounds on the Victim

Medical examinations revealed that the student suffered as many as 32 injuries on his hands, legs, stomach, and back. Despite the severity of the assault, the teacher did not send the child home or seek medical attention. This is another serious crime, and the police’s failure to handle the case properly is unacceptable," Minister expressed his outrage.

In addition to his call for the suspension of the police inspector, he also emphasized the need for better police training and legal knowledge, noting that officers lacked an understanding of the laws they were supposed to enforce