Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde fined, faces warrant threat in 2016 assault case

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde was fined Rs 1,000 by a city court on Wednesday for non-appearance in a 10-year-old assault case.

The court warned that her continued absence at the next hearing on November 2 could result in a warrant and cancellation of bail bonds.

Charges are expected to be framed in the first week of November, with the court noting the accused's behaviour protracts the trial.

Tawde's lawyer cited her busy schedule as Mumbai's first citizen for her absence, a plea opposed by the public prosecutor.

The assault case dates back to July 29, 2016, involving an alleged altercation at a BMC-run school over a teacher's transfer.

A city court on Wednesday imposed a cost of Rs 1,000 on Mayor Ritu Tawde for failing to appear before it in a 10-year-old assault case in which she is an accused, cautioning her absence at the next hearing could lead to issuance of a warrant and cancellation of bail bonds.

Additional sessions judge G G Bhansali noted the incident occurred in 2016 and though a chargesheet was filed in 2017, charges were yet to be framed.

The charges are likely to be framed in the first week of November.

Court's Warning On Non-Appearance

"The continuous absence of the accused (Tawde and two others) reflects their behaviour to protract the trial," the judge remarked.

The court had at a previous hearing imposed a cost of Rs 300 on the Mayor, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator, after allowing her plea for exemption from personal appearance in the case.

When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, Tawde and the two other accused again sought exemption from appearance.

Tawde's lawyer Durga Rajput submitted that the Mayor, being the first citizen of Mumbai, has a busy schedule as she has to attend different functions of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The other two accused contended they are social workers and have their own busy schedule.

Additional Public Prosecutor Iqbal Solkar opposed their plea, arguing that the matter is several years old and the accused were intentionally avoiding court appearance.

Additional sessions judge Bhansali allowed their plea after imposing a cost of Rs 1,000 on the Mayor be credited to the government treasury within one week of the order.

The judge, however, insisted the accused must positively remain present in the court on the next date (November 2) to frame charges.

The order cautioned the failure to appear before the Judge will result in the court issuing warrants and cancelling the accused persons bail bonds.

Details Of The 2016 Assault Case

The court suggested the accused may seek permanent exemption from appearance once the charges are framed.

The incident took place on July 29, 2016, at a BMC-run Urdu Medium School in the Vakola area.

The prosecution alleged that Tawde, then a corporator, and six others, entered the school and engaged in a heated exchange with the management over the transfer of a cancer-stricken teacher.

Further, the police claimed that during the argument the accused hurled abuses at the management and assaulted two other schoolteachers.

The FIR in the case was registered on August 11, 2016.