Bombay HC Orders Inquiry into 2012 Party With Liquor, Bar Dancers at Shelter for Mentally Challenged Girls

The Bombay High Court has ordered a formal probe into allegations that a 2012 New Year’s Eve party at a government-aided Mankhurd shelter home involved liquor and bar dancers in the presence of 26 mentally challenged girls.

The Division Bench, noting the State’s prolonged inaction, instructed the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within six weeks.

The court ordered that the State must take disciplinary action against responsible officials and file a compliance report within three months.

The order was passed on a 2014 PIL highlighting management and safety concerns at the shelter home. (Sangeeta Sandeep Punekar v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.)