Mumbai, Jul 20 The Bombay High Court slammed the police for their "shoddy" probe into the 2025 sexual assault of a minor girl by the headmaster and teacher of an ashram school in Kolhapur, transferring the investigation in the case to the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The Kolhapur circuit bench, comprising Justices Vrushali Joshi and Sandesh Patil, stated that it was "flabbergasted" by the superintendent of police's claim that no female IPS officer was available, slamming the investigating team's "lackadaisical approach" and complete ignorance of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A copy of the order passed on July 13 was made available on Monday.
The victim's parent had moved the high court seeking that the probe be transferred to an independent agency, alleging improper police investigation.
According to the complaint, the headmaster and a teacher of the ashram school had inappropriately touched and physically assaulted the minor victim.
The accused duo were booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act.
The court expressed its dissatisfaction with the manner in which the police had maintained the case diary, noting that it consisted of just loose sheets of paper.
"We are shocked by the lackadaisical approach and total ignorance of the investigating officer about the provisions of law, especially the POCSO Act," the bench held, adding that there are two FIRs lodged against the accused persons.
The court summoned the SP, who stated that a show-cause notice had been issued to the investigating officer and that the probe would now be handed over to a senior woman police inspector.
He told the court that no female police officers of the IPS rank were available to carry out the investigation.
"This is quite alarming. The answer of the Superintendent of Police has left us flabbergasted," the court said.
Noting that the investigation in the case had been carried out in a "shoddy manner", the court expressed apprehension about the nature and quality of the future probe.
"We are satisfied that this is a fit case for the court to exercise its powers for doing complete justice," the bench said, holding that the offence was of a heinous nature.
The court ordered the probe to be transferred to the state CID and asked the additional director general of police of the agency to look into the matter personally.
