Mumbai: Retired Bombay HC Judge Writes To Authorities Urging Action On Video Allegedly Showing Child Abuse

Mumbai: S J Kathawalla, retired judge of Bombay high court, has written letters to Mumbai police, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and the State child rights' Commission about the alleged physical abuse of two minor children by their mother. He has also sent video recordings, which went viral on Tuesday. The FPJ has copies of the letters and the videos.

The extremely shocking videos showed the mother screaming at her children her children (a girl and a boy) and repeatedly hitting them with a belt. The retired judge has also urged the authorities to take action against the ‘'wrong-doers’'.

Disturbing content ahead, viewer discretion is advised:

Kathawalla has marked copies of his letters to the chief justice of Bombay High Court, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, requesting them to look into the matter. Kathawalla has expressed his willingness to offer assistance, if at all required, in shifting the children to a safe environment.

The letter written to Susieben Shah, chairperson of the child rights Commission, speaks of how the alleged video of the lady belting her own children appears to be a disturbing one. “I am forwarding three video clips which I have just come across. It can be seen from the said video clips that two minor, innocent and helpless, children are being mercilessly, beaten up and tortured by a lady who appears to be their mother. The video clips shows that the mother is not only repeatedly belting the minor on more than one occasion, but she is using abusive language. She has almost threatened to kill them.”

The letter further reads, “I am of the view that it is dangerous to keep the children in her company, even for a minute and that minors should be shifted to a home where they are taken care off and fully protected... thus requesting the commission to enquire and take necessary action in the matter at the earliest”

The letter to the SHRC’s chairman Justice (retd) K K Tated, also refers to the videos and have requested the commission to take cognizance of the in-human way in which the two minor children are allegedly tortured by the mother and to take appropriate action against the wrong doers.

Kathawalla, while speaking to the FPJ said, “Referring to the video, it appears that the couple must be going through some domestic disputes, but it should not be vented out on children. Even though the video is a year old one, but it definitely calls for a probe and hence I have written it to the concerned authorities, to take up the matter at its earliest. “

Kathawalla also confirmed that he had received a phone call from the Social Service Department of the Mumbai Police, where they have acknowledged the complaints. “In such a case, an FIR should be filed against both the parents, first for allegedly physically abusing them, and second for allegedly ‘simply filming’ the entire alleged assault,”Kathawalla said.

According to a senior police officer, the video is not of a recent incident. Yet the Vanrai police have taken cognisance and have recorded the statements of the mother, father and the two children and further investigation is being conducted. Said Kathawalla when a crime, howsoever old, is brought to the notice of the police the latter has to take action as per law.