NEW DELHI: A Thane magistrate’s inquiry into the death of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case, has concluded that five police officers are responsible for his death in custody. The report, submitted was submitted to the Bombay high court in a sealed envelope.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale reviewed the report, which found five police officers responsible for the accused’s death. The court ruled that an FIR must be filed against them, and an investigation will follow.
Shinde, aged 24, was arrested in August for allegedly sexually assaulting two young girls at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra. On September 24, he was killed during a police shootout while being transported to a transit remand for interrogation. Police claimed that Shinde had snatched an officer’s gun and opened fire, injuring one officer, leading to a retaliatory shot that fatally wounded him. The police maintain this was an act of self-defense.
However, Shinde’s family has contested the police version of events, claiming that the encounter was staged. They allege that their son, who was reportedly unarmed during their visit to him at Taloja jail earlier that day, could not have carried out such an attack. Maharashtra chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis defended the police, saying the officers acted in self-defense following the alleged attack.
After the assault, demonstrators vandalised property at the school and blocked railway tracks in response to the incident. Furthermore, the school’s chairman and secretary are facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for failing to report the assault on time.
In light of these developments, the Maharashtra government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to further investigate the case.
