Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde to Stand Trial in 2016 Teacher Assault Case After Court Throws Out Discharge Plea
Mumbai: A sessions court in Mumbai has cleared the way for trial proceedings against city mayor Ritu Tawde in a nearly decade-old case involving the alleged assault of two school teachers, after rejecting her application to be discharged from the matter.
The order was pronounced on March 12 by Additional Sessions Judge Y.P. Manathkar, who found sufficient material on record to frame charges against Tawde. The court noted that the two victims had “categorically named” Tawde as the person who physically assaulted them inside the school premises. Statements from other witnesses also identified her as one of the assailants. “This is more than sufficient to frame charge against the applicant,” the judge said, adding that a prima facie case existed, as reported by PTI.
What happened in 2016
The case goes back to July 29, 2016, and centres on an incident at an Urdu-medium municipal school in Shastri Nagar, Vakola, Santacruz (East). According to the prosecution, the trouble started over the transfer of a teacher, Shahin Khan, to another school in the Bandra-Kurla Complex. Khan was allegedly unhappy with the move, particularly because she was reportedly undergoing cancer treatment at the time.
The prosecution alleges that Tawde, along with six others, went to the school and confronted the headmistress and staff over the transfer. The situation turned physical. Two teachers — Mohd Yakub Rahid and Nadim Ahmed Shaikh — were allegedly assaulted during the confrontation. An FIR filed by headmistress Sharifa Momin stated that the accused slapped the teachers and tried to stop them from carrying out their duties, attracting charges related to use of criminal force against public servants.
What the defence argued
Tawde’s legal team pushed back on multiple fronts. The defence argued that her presence at the school was coincidental and that her political profile as a BJP corporator was being exploited for publicity. It also flagged a 13-day gap between the incident and the filing of the FIR, suggesting the complaint was driven by political vendetta rather than genuine grievance. The defence further contended that there was no evidence of criminal intent, or mens rea, on Tawde’s part.
Why the court disagreed
The prosecution relied on statements from seven witnesses, including eyewitnesses, who identified Tawde as the primary aggressor. It also underlined the gravity of the alleged conduct inside an educational institution.
The court was clear that at the charge-framing stage, it is not required to go into a detailed examination of evidence or arrive at a finding of guilt. The threshold is lower whether enough grounds exist to proceed. “If two views are possible and the material gives rise to grave suspicion, the court is justified in framing charges,” Judge Manathkar observed. With the discharge plea rejected, Tawde will now face trial in the case.