The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused pre-arrest bail to the chairman and secretary of a school in Maharashtra's Badlapur town where two minor girls were sexually assaulted by a male attendant.
A single bench of Justice R N Laddha said prima facie there is material to show the two accused were aware of the alleged incident before August 16 but they failed to take any steps to report the same to police or local authority.
Justice Laddha further said the offence is serious and the court has to consider the plight of the minor victims. "The victims are minors. The trauma that they have endured can profoundly affect their adolescent years leaving them with lasting psychological scars," the court said. It is undisputed that applicants are persons responsible for managing the school, the court held.