The accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case was allegedly shot at during a cross-firing on Monday. Akshay Shinde, the accused in custody for sexual assault of two minors in August, allegedly fired at a police personnel and was injured in a retaliatory firing, police said.
Shinde grabbed a revolver from a police personnel and shot at the cop, injuring him. Other police personnel present there shot back at Shinde in retaliatory firing, after which he was grievously injured.
The incident happened when Akshay Shinde was being taken to Badlapur from Taloja jail for investigation. When the police vehicle reached Mumbra bypass, the accused snatched a policeman’s gun and fired at an assistant police inspector.
Responding to the incident Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, "He (Akshay Shinde) was taken for investigation as his ex-wife has registered a case of sexual assault. He fired on a police personnel, Nilesh More who got injured and has been admitted to hospital. Police in self-defence took that action. More information will come out after investigation..."
Meanwhile, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "He (Akshay Shinde) snatched the police gun and fired on police personnel and in the air too. Police fired on him in self-defence. He was taken to the hospital."
Fadnavis rebuked opposition's allegations over the issue saying if the accused attacked the police, then the police would do their self-defence.
"Doctors will declare it later but the preliminary information that we have is that he has died. Opposition raises questions on everything, the same opposition was asking to hang him. If he had attacked the police, wouldn't the police do the self-defence? It's wrong to create any issue out of it," the BJP leader said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and spokesperson Anand Dubey urged the Maharashtra government to form an SIT to probe the matter as "there were many doubts." "The government and the police should clarify and tell the public what happened," he said.
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.
Following the sexual assault, there were violence protests in Badlapur and other parts of Maharashtra. The outrage was evident in Shinde's village as well where people stormed into his house and vandalised the belongings.
What Is Badlapur Sexual Assault Case?
The Badlapur sexual assault case 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 Akshay Shinde inside a girls’ toilet.
The girls had gone to use the washroom during their morning classes when the assault took place. No female staff were appointed by the school for the girls' toilets. The incident came to light after one of the girls complained of pain in her private parts. She also told the parents that the accused had touched her private parts when she went to use the washroom.
The accused, Akshay Shinde, was hired on a contractual basis on August 1, 2024. He was made the charge of cleaning the girls' toilet when he sexually assaulted the girls. A complaint was registered by the parents of the two girls after which the accused was nabbed by the police.
The sexual assault led to a widespread protests in Badlapur and neighbouring Maharashtra districts. During the protest, the agitators blocked rail tracks demanding justice. Some of the protesters also damaged school property, breaking gates, window panes, benches, and doors.
Following the protests, there was an internet shutdown in the area. FIRs were also filed against 300 people who were part of the protests that erupted in Badlapur.