Abetment of suicide charge dropped against 2 Virar schoolteachers

MUMBAI: Nearly three months after the bodies of three 14-year-olds were found in a river near their Virar residential school, the police have concluded that they had drowned and have also dropped the abetment of suicide charge against two teachers.
According to the chargesheet submitted by Boisar deputy superintendent of police Vijaykant Sagar in the Vasai sessions court on Tuesday, nine students of Vagad International Gurukul, including Meet Chhadwa, Prahul Patel and Khushal Dagha, sneaked out of the hostel on August 25 fearing corporal punishment.But six of them backed out on reaching Sukh river. The chargesheet said two of the students who returned to the hostel saw Khushal drown.
The chargesheet added that it was a case of corporal punishment. While Sanskrit teacher Ripusudhan Garg hit students with a stick for scoring low in exams and threatened to repeat the beating the next day, PT teacher Sandeep Palva used the nylon-rubber cord attached to his whistle to thrash them. Palghar SP Suvez Haq said abetment to suicide charge was dropped due to lack of evidence—no note was found. They have now been booked for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and voluntarily causing grievous hurt, besides section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act. They are lodged in Thane jail.
Last week, the boys’ parents filed a writ plea praying that a murder case be registered and CBI probe the matter. “We are told that it is neither murder nor suicide, but we maintain there was foul play,” said Prahul’s father Narayan.