In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has refused to grant bail to a school bus driver involved in the sexual assault of a minor girl, describing the crime as “serious, grave, and heinous.” The decision underscores the court’s commitment to dealing stringently with offenses involving children.
The case pertains to an incident from 2023, where the driver was arrested for sexually assaulting a Class 2 student. Justice Madhav Jamdar, presiding over the single bench, emphasized the egregious breach of trust involved in the case. “The accused was responsible for the safety and security of children commuting to and from school. However, he betrayed this duty by assaulting a minor after taking her to a secluded location,” Justice Jamdar noted in his ruling.
The court highlighted the severity of the crime, stating that the driver stopped the vehicle under the pretext of route deviation, took the victim to an isolated spot, and committed the assault. Such actions, according to Justice Jamdar, have a profound and lasting impact on the young victim and society’s trust in systems meant to protect children.
The accused had applied for bail, citing his prolonged detention since March 2023, which amounts to one-third of the potential maximum sentence. However, the court rejected his plea, arguing that the nature and gravity of the offense are too severe to consider release on bail. “The material on record clearly indicates the involvement of the accused in a heinous act where an eight-year-old girl was subjected to unimaginable trauma,” the court observed.
Furthermore, Justice Jamdar directed that the trial be expedited, stressing the need for swift justice in cases involving sexual offenses against minors. The ruling sends a clear message about the judiciary’s zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against children.
