Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Ex-Minister and Son Over Ashram School Snakebite Deaths

The Gadchiroli sessions court has rejected the anticipatory bail applications of former Lok Sabha member and ex-minister Marotrao Kowase and his son, Vishwajit Kowase, in connection with the deaths of three female students from snakebites at a government-aided tribal residential school in Gadchiroli.

The incident took place on August 10, when a venomous snake bit six students who were sleeping on the hostel floor. Three of the students—Deepika Lakda, 12, Sushmita Mandal, 14, and Anu Koreti, 8—died following the incident. Three other students, identified as Deepika Madavi, 11, Kavita Kirange, 12, and Samrudhi Naitam, 14, were shifted to Nagpur for medical treatment. Naitam remains on life support at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur.

Marotrao Kowase serves as the president of the Kuparlingo Educational and Cultural Development Research Institution, which operates the ashram school, while Vishwajit Kowase is the institution's general secretary. Both father and son were named as co-accused in the case and have been absconding since the tragedy.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the immediate cancellation of the school's license and directed officials to relocate the remaining students. Co-guardian minister Ashish Jaiswal and tribal development minister Dr Ashok Uike visited the facility to inspect living conditions. The National Human Rights Commission also issued a notice to the state government, terming the incident a serious violation of human rights and seeking a detailed report within two weeks.

Police previously arrested the school's headmaster, Prashant Tatpalliwar, male warden Bhashkar Bhoyar, and female warden Bhagyashree Chillamwar. All three individuals were subsequently suspended by the tribal department.

In the order rejecting pre-arrest bail, Additional Sessions Judge Vishwas S Khot cited an inquiry committee report that highlighted unsanitary conditions, a lack of beds, and severe negligence by the school management. The court noted that an investigation is actively underway into allegations of financial misappropriation and forged records, concluding that the physical custody of the accused is necessary to prevent them from jeopardising the investigation.