Badlapur Sex Abuse Case Highlights: Make ‘Maharashtra Bandh’ Successful To Arrest ‘Perverse Mentality,’ Says Uddhav Thackeray
Badlapur School Case LIVE: Please follow this space and keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates pertaining to sexual assault on two nursery class girls that sparked outrage in Maharashtra.
Requesting to withdraw the Maharashtra bandh scheduled for August 24, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar tweeted: "In the wake of the Badlapur incident, a statewide public shutdown was called for on 24 August 2024...This was an attempt to draw the government's attention to this matter. This bandh was within the purview of the Fundamental Rights of the Constitution of India. However, the Bombay High Court has ruled that the bandh is unconstitutional. Urgent appeal to the Supreme Court is not possible due to the time limit. As the Indian Judiciary is a constitutional institution, it is requested to withdraw tomorrow's bandh while respecting the Constitution."
Ahead of the 'Maharashtra Bandh' movement tomorrow, Congress spokesperson and media coordinator Shri Sureshchandra Rajhans has been issued a notice by the police. According to sources, several other leaders, officials, and activists in Mumbai have been served notices by the local police station.
( With inputs from Rajesh Tripathi)
A Special Investigation Team has reached the school of the minor girls for investigation. IPS officer Aarti Singh, who was appointed by the State Home Ministry, is also present.
The SIT is recording the school staff's statements in the presence of Aarti Singh.
(Inputs from Suraj Ojha)
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed CM Eknath Shinde-led government’s action over the Badlapur protest and warned: "Arrests are still taking place in Badlapur. The cases against the protesters must be withdrawn or else we have to hit the streets."
Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the 'Maharashtra Bandh' is not political but a way to show concern over rising cases of crime against women.
The Bombay High Court lashed out at the police over its way of handling the Badlapur sexual assault case. Taking suo motu cognizance of the case, the court not just lashed out at the police for the delay in the registration of FIR, but also the school authorities who failed to report the crime to the police promptly.
Visuals of school trustees arriving at the school premises where the two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted.
Maha Vikash Aghadi (MVA) ally, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday issued a clarion call to the people asking them to participate in Saturday’s Maharashtra Bandh (shutdown) wholeheartedly to protest against ‘perverse mentality’ in the state, here.
He said that the shutdown will commence from Saturday morning and will be on till 2 p.m., while all essential services shall be exempt, urged for stopping local trains and bus services during half-day 'bandh', called by the combined Opposition including Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), plus other allies.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday highlighted concerns about school safety saying that if schools aren’t safe, discussions on the right to education lose significance. “Even four-year-old girls are not being spared. This situation is extremely shocking,” Justice Mohite-Dere said, as quoted by The Indian Express.
The Bench was hearing matters related to the alleged sexual assault of two minors at a school in Badlpur. Amid the proceedings, the court grilled the Badlapur police and asked for the reason behind a delay in recording of statements.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday demanded the withdrawal of the cases against those who had protested in Badlapur against the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls at a local school.
Addressing a news conference, Thackeray said the August 24 ‘Maharashtra Bandh’ called by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is against "perversion" and urged people cutting across caste and religion to participate in it, as reported by PTI. He said the bandh should be “strictly” followed till 2 pm, ensuring that emergency services remain operational.
Slamming the Eknath Shinde government for “still making arrests” in connection with the Badlapur protest, Thackeray said, “The cases against the protesters must be withdrawn.” A massive protest rocked Badlapur town in Thane district on Tuesday after thousands of people hit the streets and spilled onto railway tracks to protest the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a male attendant at a local school.
Senior police Inspector Shubhada Shitole, who was suspended along with two others due to the delay in the filing of an FIR in Badlapur sexual assault case, has been transferred to Mumbai, as per a News 18 report. Shitole, from Badlapur East Police Station, was in charge of the case involving the sexual assault of two girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur.
After the Badlapur incident, posters have been put up at many places in Badlapur today. The posters carried a message in Marathi. The posters read "As residents of Badlapur, we condemn that incident, but there is no need for petty politics in Badlapur on the basis of that case."
Amid the raging controversy over the Badlapur sexual abuse case, the Maharashtra government on Thursday appointed 1989 batch IAS officer IS Chahal as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Home Department, as reported by news agency IANS.
Former Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Chahal, who is currently serving as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), will take over from Sujata Saunik, the Chief Secretary who held additional charge of the Home Department also. Chahal will also continue to hold additional charge of the Mining Department till further orders.
The latest appointment came amid growing criticism of the Home Department over a spate of sexual assault cases, particularly in the aftermath of the alleged sexual abuse of two 4-year-old girls by a sanitation worker at a private school in Badlapur in Thane district.
In Kolhapur, the girl's maternal uncle was found to be the perpetrator of the rape and murder. The uncle raped his niece and then strangled her to death. The body of the minor was found in a field in the village of Shiye, Kolhapur. The accused, Dinesh Kumar Saha, is a distant relative of the girl and her maternal uncle.
According to District Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit, six suspects were questioned in the case. After analysing footage from nine CCTV cameras, the real culprit was identified. The victim's family originally hails from Bihar. Last year, the family moved to Shiye village in Kolhapur, where the deceased's father works in the nearby MIDC. The accused had been living with them for the past three months.
The ten-year-old girl had been missing since the day before yesterday afternoon. After receiving information at night, the police, with the help of a dog squad, found her body in a sugarcane field yesterday morning.
The body of a 10-year-old girl was recovered from a sugarcane field in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district on Thursday morning, after which her uncle was arrested for alleged rape and murder, a police official said. The girl, whose family hails from Bihar, had gone missing on Wednesday evening and her parents had filed a missing person complaint some time later, the official said.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: On the Badlapur incident, Union Minister and BJP MP from North Mumbai, Piyush Goyal says, "... The accused should be severely punished and strict action should be taken at the earliest. The punishment should instil fear in the hearts of all who commit such crimes... The CM and DCMs have taken cognisance of the issue. I hope that the accused will be quickly and severely punished via Fastrack court."
A case was registered against a 21-year-old woman with more than five lakh Instagram followers on Thursday for allegedly spreading rumors about the two kindergarten girls who were sexually abused at a school in Badlapur, officials in Thane said.
Some misleading messages regarding the health of the victims and their families were going viral, hence the action was taken, said an official release of city police, as reported by news agency PTI.
The cyber cell of Thane city police traced the origin of the messages and detained Rhutika Prakash Shelar, an Ambernath resident with 5.5 lakh followers on Instagram, for `creating a disturbance in society by spreading rumours', it said. The case was registered at Badlapur (East) police station. The police also appealed to people not to share such messages or believe rumours.
The accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case of two minors used to have domestic issues with his first wife and was remarried four months ago. 23-year-old Akshay Shinde, who worked as a cleaning staff at a school in Badlapur, was arrested by the police on August 17 for sexually molesting two 4-year-old girl students inside the toilet of a school in Badlapur town in Maharashtra’s Thane district.
Those who feel there is politics behind Badlapur protest are either abnormal or protectors of the culprits: Uddhav Thackeray
Maharashtra: Youth Congress workers held a protest in Nagpur earlier today over #Badlapur incident.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray says, "We have declared a Maharashtra bandh on 24th August in protest against the atrocities on girls in Badlapur. If girls are not safe in school then what is the meaning of 'Mulgi Shikli, Pragati Jhali'? Last week, demonstrations were held across the country regarding the incident that happened in Bengal. The bandh we have called is not politically motivated. Just like we fight against Corona...We have to fight against the distorted mentality."
Nandurbar: On Badlapur alleged sexual assault case, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole says, "...As far as the SIT is concerned, we have doubts about IPS officer Arti Singh. They have appointed Ujjwal Nikam as Special Prosecutor, but he is already a BJP worker. So, both of them should be replaced and there should be justice. This is our stand..."
Background
Badlapur School Case LIVE Updates: Please follow this space and keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates pertaining to sexual assault on two nursery class girls that sparked outrage in Maharashtra.
The incident took place on August 12-13, 2024 when two four-year-old girls studying in the pre-primary classes of a prominent co-ed school in Badlapur were allegedly sexually assaulted by a 23-year-old male cleaning staff member inside a girls’ toilet.
The accused in the case was identified as Akshay Shinde. He was arrested by the police on August 17 for the incident that took place in Badlapur town in Maharashtra’s Thane district.
On Tuesday, massive protests erupted at Railway Station against the alleged sexual assault incident. During the protests, local trains at the railway station were stopped as protestors chanted slogans demanding justice.
Shinde was sent to police custody till August 24. He used to have domestic issues with his first wife and was remarried four months ago. Akshay Shinde, who worked as a cleaning staff at a school in Badlapur. His neighbour said his second wife had not been around for many days and he lived with his mother and brother, according to India Today.
Shinde had remarried four months ago while his first wife had left him due to his habits and domestic issues. "The (second) marriage happened around four months back. His first wife had left him due to his habits and domestic issues between them. Also, the second wife hadn't been seen for the past few days in the area," the neighbour reportedly said.
The neighbour further said that the whole locality was in shock and ashamed of him. "No one had imagined that such a monster was living here amongst us in this locality," the neighbour said. He claimed that Akshay Shinde had been living in the area for the past five years and he had stayed in a different locality.
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