India, Dec. 30 -- Almost 17 years after the shocking rape of a minor in a tribal residential school (ashramshala) in Palghar, the Bombay High Court has granted relief to the school's former headmaster and said that his removal from service was a 'disproportionate punishment' for his actions.

The court dismissed an appeal filed by the state tribal development commissioner and the additional commissioner against an order of the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) that had sent the headmaster's case back to the disciplinary authority to impose a minor punishment.

A division bench of justices Suman Shyam and M M Sathaye observed that the headmaster was not accused of any sexual offences. He was, however, accused of failing to prevent ...