States » WestPosted at: Sep 24 2026 12:04PM


Court imposes Rs 300 cost on Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde for repeated absence in 2016 teacher assault case

Mumbai, Sep 24 (UNI) A Mumbai sessions court has imposed a cost of Rs 300 on Mayor and BJP corporator Ritu Tawde after allowing her fresh plea seeking exemption from personal appearance in a 2016 case involving the alleged assault of two municipal school teachers.
Additional Sessions Judge G G Bhansali allowed the exemption application filed by Tawde and two other accused but directed each of them to deposit Rs 300 with the government before the next hearing on October 7.
The court took note of the repeated absence of the accused despite earlier orders granting exemption from personal appearance. It observed that the accused had already been given a “last chance” to remain exempted from attending the proceedings but continued to remain absent and file fresh exemption applications.
The case dates back to July 29, 2016, when Tawde, who was then a BJP corporator, and six others allegedly entered a municipal Urdu-medium school in the Shastri Nagar area of Vakola, following a dispute over the transfer of a woman teacher who was reportedly suffering from cancer.
According to the prosecution, the group had a heated exchange with the school management over the transfer issue. The confrontation allegedly escalated, with two teachers being assaulted and abusive language being used during the incident.
The FIR was registered at Vakola police station on August 11, 2016, nearly two weeks after the alleged incident.
The defence had earlier raised the delay in registration of the FIR as one of the grounds while seeking relief for Tawde.
Tawde had also approached the sessions court seeking discharge from the case, contending, among other things, that her presence at the school was coincidental and unrelated to the alleged incident. She had alleged that she was implicated because of her political position.
The court, however, rejected her discharge plea in March this year and held that statements of the two alleged victims and other witnesses provided sufficient material to proceed against her. The court noted that the victims had identified Tawde as the person who allegedly assaulted them and that other witnesses had also referred to her involvement.
The prosecution had opposed the discharge application, relying on the statements of the alleged victims and other witnesses. The court held that at the discharge stage it was not required to conduct a detailed examination of the evidence or hold a mini-trial and that the material on record was sufficient for framing charges.
With the discharge plea rejected and charges already framed, the matter is now moving towards the trial stage.
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