New Delhi:
It was meant to be a safe haven for toddlers, and a facility for working parents to leave their young ones in safe custody. But 'Paatshaala' play-school in Vashist Nagar in New Delhi turned out to be anything but that. Last December, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl student filed a police complaint alleging the principal's husband had sexually abused her on the premises. The play-school was run by Poonam Malik and her husband Pramod.
Both were arrested and the play-school sealed. Poonam Malik was out on bail soon after. Pramod Malik too got bail in just a few weeks, in spite of the serious charges of rape against him.
For locals in the area who have followed the case, the bail came as a surprise.
Mr DS Rawat runs a local NGO in the area. He says, "I was surprised when he got bail, though I haven't seen either of the two in the locality in the last one year. No one talks openly about what happened here. People murmur. Some say his behaviour at times was shady. But ask them to testify to the police, no one wants to get involved."
When NDTV visited Pramod Malik's residence, his mother was evasive. After refusing to open the door, she shouted, "He isn't at home. I have nothing to say to you. The case is in court and we have left the rest to God."
Though the girl's family now has legal help from a non-governmental organisation, in the first few weeks they were lost.
The mother of the girl said, "The previous lawyer who was supposed to represent us kept avoiding us. Sometimes she would say she had no time to meet. We kept asking her for case details, we wanted to know what charges he (Pramod Malik) faced. She didn't meet me even once the entire time she represented us. That's why I think the accused got bail."
Though the case is in a special court it has not been fast tracked. It has seen repeated adjournments and is no closer to judgement day than a year ago. This family though has no option but to hold on for justice.