Latest news with #RevatiMohiteDere


India Today
25-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
Bombay High Court permits abortion after woman cites trauma, end of relationship
While observing that a 31-year-old woman had become pregnant because of a failed contraceptive and she was no longer in the relationship which led to her pregnancy, the Bombay High Court permitted a woman to undergo Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP). The woman told the court that she did not want to continue her pregnancy, which was causing her mental trauma. advertisementThe bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and De Neela Gokhale were hearing a plea of a woman who was in her 25th week of pregnancy. The woman told the court that the pregnancy occurred on account of failure of a contraceptive device used by bench interacted with the woman, who told them she had a history of illness and the relationship which led to her pregnancy was over. 'In these circumstances, the continuance of the pregnancy is causing her a tremendous amount of anguish, constituting grave injury to her mental health,' observed the bench. The petitioner's parents and family members were also not aware of her pregnancy. She stated that if her parents learned about her pregnancy, they would not accept the same, leaving her in a complete lurch to fend for petitioner told the bench that she quit her job about a few months back and that instead of looking for a new job, on learning of her pregnancy, she is now required to run pillar to post to consult doctors from Mumbai and Pune for their opinion to terminating her bench observed that the woman was extremely disturbed, having to face these challenges and had thus made a conscious decision to terminate the pregnancy. The bench ascertained that she had made the choice of her own free will and she was not desirous of continuing the bench also saw that the woman was left in a lurch by her own circumstances as well as the refusal of her partner to offer support and assistance to her in any manner, despite being an active participant in bringing about the present situation.'The Petitioner is naturally apprehensive about social stigma as well as facing her own parents, who may not be supportive in the circumstances,' observed the bench and thus asked the woman to get her estranged partner to the chamber the woman's former partner came to court, he immediately offered to deposit an amount of Rs one lakh in the account of the Petitioner for medical and legal expenses to be incurred by bench observed that the man 'appeared to be a mature person" and accepted responsibility. He also assured us that he would accompany the petitioner to the hospital, if she so desired, and remain with her during the entire ordeal.'- EndsMust Watch


The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bombay High Court gives 4 weeks to Maharashtra to fix school safety rules
In a sharp follow-up to its earlier directives after the Badlapur sexual assault case, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) criticised the Maharashtra government for lapses in implementing the school safety measures outlined in the May 13, 2025, Government Resolution (GR). The Court gave the State four weeks to address compliance issues and submit a detailed report. The GR was issued by the Department of School Education and Sports following the High Court's suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) in August 2024, after two minor girls were sexually assaulted at a school in Badlapur. The Court had directed the formation of an expert committee to overhaul child safety norms in educational institutions. One of the Court's key concerns was the limited public accessibility of the GR. The Division Bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale observed that the document was difficult to find online unless one knew the exact keywords. 'The GR needs to reach parents the way report cards are sent. Every parent should be aware of it. Upload it on the education department's website also. We ourselves had to rack our brains to find this GR. If one doesn't know the proper words, it is very difficult to locate,' the Bench said. Accordingly, the GR mandates that the document be prominently uploaded on the department's website and circulated through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and physical copies to ensure all parents are aware of the safety protocols in place. Spanning 23 pages, the GR outlines a range of safety protocols aimed at preventing sexual abuse and strengthening institutional accountability. These include enhanced CCTV surveillance at key school locations — such as classroom entrances, corridors, playgrounds, and areas outside washrooms — counselling support for students, prompt response to abuse cases, and improved coordination between schools, parents, and law enforcement. The GR stipulates that schools must inform the local police or the Special Juvenile Police Unit within one month of becoming aware of any sexual offence involving a child. Non-compliance could attract legal action under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. To raise awareness, the resolution directs schools to educate students on the use of the POCSO e-box—developed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights—and the Chirag mobile app launched by the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) in collaboration with the International Justice Mission. These tools must be promoted on noticeboards and security walls within schools. Students should also be informed about the child helpline number 1098. During the hearing, the Bench asked, 'Who will monitor the POCSO e-box and Chirag mobile app? Set a format for a reporting mechanism. Check whether all schools have CCTV cameras, whether they are in working condition, whether all schools have buses. You must have data of all the schools you visited and other compliances. Give us data of whatever you have collected so far. We want the data to include all cities and talukas across Maharashtra.' In response, the State said it would gather data on how many schools have complied with the guidelines. To ensure robust implementation, the High Court had earlier appointed a panel comprising retired Justices Sadhana Jadhav and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, along with former IPS officer Meeran Borwankar and a retired school principal. The committee was tasked with recommending strategies for effective enforcement of the POCSO Act in educational settings. A key element of the GR is the creation of a statewide compliance database. District authorities are directed to track which schools have adopted the safety guidelines and which have been physically inspected. The data will help shape future audits and guide policy decisions. The Court has now given the Maharashtra government four weeks to address all outstanding concerns and file a compliance report detailing the extent of adherence to the guidelines, the monitoring systems in place, and the progress of data collection.


India Today
24-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
High Court seeks compliance report on school security after Badlapur assault case
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Maharashtra government to ensure compliance with its Government Resolution (GR) issued on May 13, 2025, which outlines various measures to enhance the safety of children in GR was issued following a directive from the High Court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the Badlapur incident last year, in which a sanitation worker was accused of sexually assaulting two toddlers on school premises in August bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Dr Neela Gokhale stated, 'It shouldn't be just on paper. We are not asking you to prosecute the school authorities, but do the checks, give them time, follow up, and ensure the measures are implemented.' The bench directed the state government to submit data on every school in Maharashtra within six weeks, indicating whether they have complied with the GR mandates enhanced CCTV surveillance at classroom entrances, corridors, main entry and exit points, playgrounds, and areas outside toilets. It also calls for improved counselling support, better handling of child abuse cases, and increased collaboration between schools, parents, and relevant bench said, 'Check if the CCTVs are there. Sometimes they are installed but not functioning. All of that has to be checked. Every four to six months, call for a report and depute education officers to conduct surprise inspections. This should not be limited to Mumbai but extended to other parts of the state as well.'advertisementSchools are also required to install physical complaint boxes as part of a broader initiative to strengthen child safety and ensure compliance with the Pocso Act. The court directed the state to ensure that these boxes are opened regularly and that no laxity is shown in addressing any complaints bench further stressed that every parents' group in schools across the state must be informed about the GR so they can carry out independent checks.'We want regular monitoring and detailed data, with charts for each school showing the extent of compliance,' the bench Maharashtra government has been asked to submit the compliance data on August 5, when the matter will be heard next.- Ends


Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ensure schoolkids' safety norms compliance, Bombay high court tells Maharashtra education department
Mumbai: Bombay high court on Tuesday asked the state education department to depute officers to visit schools to ensure compliance of a general resolution (GR) for the safety and security of children. Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale were hearing a suo motu PIL taken up after the Aug 2023 sexual assault of two kindergarten girls in a Badlapur school. The May 13 GR, issued on the recommendations of a committee set up by the education department and led by two retired high court judges, included mandatory cameras, separate washrooms with male and female attendants, children to be taught to distinguish between 'good touch, bad touch' and cybercrime awareness. The judges said they want data of schools in all cities and talukas in Maharashtra and a school-wise report on compliances. Initially, the report on the status of compliances must be submitted once in four months, later it can be once in six months. Pointing out that the GR was not easily accessible, the judges said schools should send it to parents like report cards and also circulate it among Parent-Teacher Associations. They directed the state education department to upload the GR on its website and position it prominently. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai


Time of India
21-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Mature' ex-partner offered to pay for MTP at 25+ weeks: HC
Mumbai: Even as Bombay high court permitted a woman to terminate her over 25-week pregnancy, her estranged partner offered to be with her during the "entire ordeal" and bear the expenses. "He immediately offered to deposit an amount of Rs 1 lakh in the account of the petitioner for medical and legal expenses to be incurred by her. He appeared to be a mature person and accepted responsibility. He also assured us that he will accompany the petitioner to the hospital, if she so desired, and remain with her during the entire ordeal," said Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale in the June 19 order. The woman (31), sought the HC's nod as she had crossed the 24-week legally permissible limit. Her petition stated the pregnancy was due to the failure of a contraceptive device used by her and her then partner. As they are no longer in a relationship, she was not desirous of continuing with the pregnancy. Her parents were not aware of her pregnancy and would not support her, leaving her to fend for herself. She was also between jobs. Her advocate, Nikita Raje, said she has no financial or emotional support to carry the pregnancy to full term. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Her former partner was unwilling to offer any assistance. Following the HC order, the J J Hospital medical board examined her and found no foetal anomaly. The judges took note of the "pertinent" opinion on her psychiatric evaluation. The woman had a history of sadness and stress, alcohol consumption, smoking, and experimenting with cannabis. She had undergone surgeries for illnesses in the past. However, she was found fit to make a decision for medical termination of pregnacy (MTP) and to undergo the MTP procedure. The judges interacted with the woman. She appeared to be "extremely disturbed having to face these challenges". "The petitioner has thus clearly made a conscious decision to terminate the pregnancy," they said. Considering a Supreme Court decision that the pregnant person's view must be regarded, the woman's right to reproductive freedom, and the psychiatric evaluation, the judges were "satisfied that the continuance of the pregnancy shall adversely affect the already disturbed psychological condition of the petitioner". Finding the woman "was left in a lurch by her own circumstances" as well as her partner's refusal to support her, "despite being an active participant in bringing about the present situation," the judges permitted her to implead him. They accepted his offer and directed him to deposit the amount the amount in the woman's account.