Bombay HC refuses relief to principal, professors in atrocity case

Mumbai, Sep 13 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today rejected the petition of the principal, vice principal and five teaching staff of Bandra's National College here who had urged the court to quash proceedings against them, initiated under the Prevention of Atrocities Act by a lady professor from the same college.

The Bombay High Court today rejected the petition of principal Subhadra Anand, vice principal Datta Bhandarkar and five professors from the college -- Anil Abraham, Annie Verghese, Santosh Prasad, Meghna Thakur and Rupali Patil.

A lady professor from the same college had lodged a complaint against the principal and the others under provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities Act with the Khar police alleging she had faced several instances of abuse at the hands of the accused in the college premises.

The principal and the others had challenged the FIR on the grounds that the alleged remarks were not made in public and the language used was not abusive.

But, a division bench comprising Justices R M S Khandeparkar and V K Tahilramani dismissed the petition saying that all alleged incidents of humiliation had taken place in public view, since they occured in the classroom, teachers room and principal's cabin in presence of other staff and students of the college.

The court observed that in such cases, language used need not be expressly abusive and other humiliating words could also invite prosecution.

UNI