Corporal Punishment: Azhar Peerbocus Charged with Child Ill-Treatment
Title: Corporal Punishment: Azhar Peerbocus Charged with Child Ill-Treatment
Content: The mufti is accused of tying up a schoolboy, covering his head with a bag, and beating him with a rattan stick.His mother states: "He didn’t do this; he needs to show his face and stand for himself."Azhar Peerbocus, surrounded by press photographers, entered the New Court House on Sunday, April 19. He was handcuffed, wearing a bulletproof vest, and flanked by heavily armed police from the Special Support Unit. Once inside the courthouse, the heavy police presence led him directly to courtroom number 2, where the Weekend Court was held. This courtroom remained closed, with armed police positioned to prevent any incidents.Inside the courtroom, investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division of Bel-Air/Rivière-Sèche filed three charges of Child Ill-Treatment against 29-year-old Azhar Peerbocus. The prosecution objected to his release, and he was returned to the Moka Detention Center.At around noon on Sunday, still under heavy police escort, the former principal of the Twaha Academy Boarding School of Bel-Air/Rivière-Sèche left the Port Louis courthouse. He smiled at his relatives amidst cries of "Allahu Akbar." The public was not allowed access to the New Court House on Sunday. Police established a security setup with controlled access to the courthouse. The gates and main doors were locked.AccusationsFive students from the Twaha Academy in Bel-Air/Rivière-Sèche accuse the religious figure Azhar Peerbocus of "Child Ill-Treatment" and "Causing Harm to Child." One student explains that he experienced corporal punishment in October 2025. He accuses Azhar Peerbocus of tying his hands and suffocating him by covering his head with a plastic bag. He allegedly inflicted multiple blows using a rattan stick and a mop stick. During a police raid at the academy last week, officers recovered a damaged mop stick. Another 17-year-old student from the academy accuses him of offering him cannabis. Azhar Peerbocus denies all the accusations against him.At the beginning of this week, the interrogation of Azhar Peerbocus will commence in the presence of his lawyers Mᵉ Yatin Varma, Mᵉ Chikooree, and Mᵉ Mohadeb. "We will need to establish a working schedule with the investigators to begin our client's interrogation," said Mᵉ Yatin Varma at the Port Louis courthouse on Sunday. On Monday, Azhar Peerbocus will again appear before the Flacq court.The ousted rector of the Twaha Academy arrived in the country from South Africa on the evening of Saturday, April 18. On Friday, April 17, his relatives purchased his return ticket. At 7 a.m. on Saturday, he took a flight from Durban to Johannesburg. Then at 1:10 p.m. on Saturday, he left Johannesburg for Plaisance, landing around 7:10 p.m.Upon disembarking at Plaisance on Saturday evening, with his face hidden behind a mask, Azhar Peerbocus was picked up by police from the Passport & Immigration Office due to a "warrant of arrest upon arrival" issued in his name. He was then handed over to the Criminal Investigation Division of Bel-Air/Rivière-Sèche, led by Superintendent Babajee and Inspector Moosun. At the airport, police arranged to transport him to the boarding gate to Rodrigues before he exited the airport under police escort.Surveillance FootageTo shed light on the allegations made by the students and to corroborate the claims of abuse, the CID of Bel-Air/Rivière-Sèche and the family protection unit will analyze the surveillance footage from the Twaha Academy.On Thursday, April 16, a former teacher and a former cook from the Twaha Academy were questioned by the police. The day before, investigators, accompanied by an administrative clerk from the Twaha Academy, discovered that the DVR from the institution's CCTV cameras was disconnected. The DVR from the Twaha Academy has been secured and will be examined by technicians from the IT Unit of the Central Criminal Investigation Department.Family"He has his God with him, his parents' blessings, and his family," states Zaheera, Azhar Peerbocus's mother. She claims her son returned to the country to defend his honor. "He was supposed to return on May 1, but I made him come back earlier because there are too many accusations against him. Rather, I want him to return, let the authorities do their job well, and not cover anything up," she adds. She mentions that her son was shocked upon learning the number of accusations against him. "He himself was shocked to find so many allegations. But he didn’t do this; he needs to show his face and stand for himself," she asserts.
