16-year-old, mute and troubled, beaten to death by 4 minor inmates at Children’s Home

Four minor boys at the David Sassoon Industrial School and Children’s Home, Matunga, allegedly beat a 16-year-old mentally challenged fellow inmate to death on Tuesday evening. All four boys, aged 12 to 17, have been booked for murder.

According to Shivaji Park police which is investigating the case, the four boys ganged up in the common hall of the children’s home and allegedly kicked and punched the 16-year-old boy repeatedly. The victim fell unconscious under the onslaught and this is how he was discovered by the warden of the children’s home. He was taken to Sion Hospital immediately where he was declared as ‘brought dead.’

The police initially registered an accidental death report after the hospital reported the death to them. However, when they received the post-mortem report on Wednesday they realised the extent of his injuries. In the doctors’ opinion the boy had died of severe internal injuries and trauma.

The police and the officials of the Children’s Home

The police and the officials of the Children’s Home then made inquiries with the other inmates. They found that at the time of the incident there were around 12-15 children in the hall. One of them, who tried to save the deceased boy, told police which four boys had beaten up the deceased.

After ascertaining their role in the preliminary inquiry, the police booked them for murder. On Thursday, all four of them were sent to the Dongri Remand Home where children in conflict with law are lodged. Police officers said two of them have a criminal past and were sent to the Matunga facility after they completed their correctional period, as their parents were untraceable. David Sassoon Industrial School and Children Home opposite Matunga station houses only orphans or abandoned children or children in need of care and protection.

The deceased teenager was admitted at the Children’s Home at Matunga earlier this month after he was spotted by a good Samaritan at Girgaum, Chowpatty, lost and wandering on his own, and handed over to DB Marg police station. The police by the order of CWC sent him to the Matunga Children’s Home on August 6 for safe keeping. The boy who has been identified as Haswan Rajkumar Nishad was found to be mentally unstable and he was also unable to speak clearly, the police said.

After the pandemic, every new entrant at the Matunga home is kept separate from the others in order to prevent any possible spread of Covid-19. The 16-year-old too was kept in one corner of the hall. However, he lost control of his bowel movements and defecated in the hall, say police. Unable to clean himself and smelling, he became an easy target of the bullies. But while the other children moved away after some time, a gang of four boys, aged 7,16,15 and 12 kept up the attack for several minutes and because he could not speak clearly, the boy did not scream.

The Shivaji Park police station registered the murder case based on the complaint filed by child supervision officer at the facility, Tushar Raghuvanshi.

“We have filed a case under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) against the four minors. The investigation of the case is on,” said inspector Keshav Kasar of Shivaji Park police station. “As the deceased boy had problem speaking, he could not even scream for help when he was being beaten up. That is also one of the reasons why the staff didn’t notice anything amiss,” said another police officer.

The murder, however, raises serious concerns over the poor arrangements made for the care and protection of special children who may be abandoned or lost. Child welfare department has guidelines that such kids should be kept in a separate facility at Mankhurd and should not be kept along with other children keeping their safety in mind. But a police source revealed that the Mankhurd home is at present overrun with inmates and which is why the DB Marg police took him to the Home at Matunga.

Deputy CEO at the Matunga Home, Satish Bansode, refused to comment on the incident.

Shobha Shelar, district Women and Child Development Officer, said, “It’s an unfortunate incident. In the preliminary inquiry no negligence on part of the facility and staff is seen. However, the department has formed a probe committee which will conduct a thorough inquiry into the entire incident.”