The co-accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, Tushar Apte, resigned within 24 hours of being appointed a "nominated councillor" by the BJP to the Kulgaon–Badlapur Municipal Council in Maharashtra's Thane district. The ruling party faced widespread criticism over the appointment. At the time of the alleged sexual assault, Apte was serving as the school secretary.
Case Registered Under Section 21(2)
Apte is accused of failing to inform the police about the crime. A case was registered against the school management under Section 21(2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for not reporting the sexual abuse of minor girls. Apte was arrested 44 days after the incident and granted bail within 48 hours. The matter is currently pending before the court.
Municipal Council president Ruchita Ghorpade had earlier confirmed Apte’s appointment as a nominated councillor. On Friday, the process to select five nominated councillors was completed -- two each from the BJP and Shiv Sena, and one from the Nationalist Congress Party.
BJP Councillor Defends Apte
BJP councillor Rajan Ghorpade defended the decision, saying Apte is a social worker associated with a reputed educational institution. He added that while Apte’s name surfaced as an accused, his guilt has not been proven so far, and the main accused has already been punished. Ghorpade also said Apte had worked for the party and contributed to a candidate’s victory, which led to him being given the responsibility.
Main Accused Killed In Police Encounter
The case relates to the sexual assault of two minor girls on a school campus by a man identified as Akshay Shinde, which sparked widespread public anger. Shinde was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly assaulting the girls in a school toilet in Badlapur.
On September 23, while being taken from Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai for questioning, he was allegedly killed in a police encounter. Police said Shinde snatched a policeman’s pistol inside the van and fired, prompting retaliatory firing in which he was killed. He was being taken for questioning in connection with another case filed by his wife.