Mumbai rewind: 18 months after Gurukul students drowned, reinvestigation has begun

Read | SUKH RIVER DROWNING: Cops to visit students’ homes, record statements

On August 27, 2014, Meet Chhadwa, Kushal Dagha and Prahul Patel-all students of Vagad Gurukul International School in Virar-had drowned in the river while trying to flee the school premises after facing corporal punishment from two of their teachers.

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While Physical Training (PT) instructor Sandeep Palwe is alleged to have hit them with the nylon-rubber cord of his whistle, Sanskrit teacher Ripusudan Garg allegedly hit them with a cane so severely that they sustained injuries to their hands. Both teachers were subsequently arrested.

Not satisfied with police investigation, the families of the victims approached Bombay High Court in September 2014 demanding a fair trial.

“We had filed our first writ more than one and half years back. There was a lawyer from our community who was assisting us, but our case remained on board for more than a year. Later we learnt that the lawyer had withdrawn the petition without our consent. Thereupon, we put in our second writ petition in November-end and emerged victorious after the court ruled in our favour,” said Chhadwa.

According to the family, the Bombay High Court had ordered Virar police to ‘reinvestigate’ the case on March 11.

“This was due to happen. There are too many facts to suggest that our sons did not die due to drowning or any other theory that the police had floated,” Chhadwa added.

In November 2014, when police filed their chargesheet in the matter, they stated that the boys were going to cross the river while ‘fleeing their school after facing corporal punishment’, but since the water levels were at 8 feet due to the rains, the boys probably slipped in a large pit as they placed their hands on each other’s shoulders for support.

While Dagha led the trio, he was followed by Chhadwa and Patel, and all the three headed to the bottom of the river.

“The post-mortem report have said that they sustained hand injuries and experts have said that the injuries could have hampered their ability to swim. They could have died because of these injuries. Police are hands-in-glove with the school authorities. Our children were murdered and the school needs to be held accountable,” said Nilesh Dagha, Kushal’s father.

The family had left no stone unturned in their pursuit for justice. They’ve even approached the Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch and even the CBI to probe the matter. “We are going to fight this to the very end and would not give up,” Chhadwa pledged.

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