Akshay Shinde, accused of sexually abusing two girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur town, died in police firing. An SIT has been constituted to investigate Akshay Shinde’s encounter following the Home Minister’s order. Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch Punjab Rao Ugle has been made the head of the SIT. A total of 8 people are involved in the SIT.
Let us tell you that Akshay Shinde, who was working as a school sweeper, was being taken from Taloja Jail to Badlapur on Monday in connection with the investigation of another case registered by his ex-wife when he shot one with a revolver. Policemen stripped and shot. In response, the police also opened fire.
Demand a judicial inquiry
After the incident, he was taken to a hospital in Kalwa, where he succumbed to his injuries, officials said. Opposition forces expressed surprise at the incident and demanded a comprehensive and judicial probe, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying the police had shot the accused in self-defence.
Shot at the police
He said that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASI) was injured in the firing by the accused, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital. A police team took him into custody at 5.30 pm, Thane police said in a statement. While returning, the police vehicle was on the Mumbra bypass between 6 pm and 6:15 pm, when Ashke Anna Shinde (24) snatched API Nilesh More’s service revolver and fired three bullets at the police team. A bullet hit Morey in the leg. Another two bullets went here and there.
Akshay Shinde’s family is accused
Another officer of the police team fired at the accused in self-defence, injuring him, police said. API More and Shinde were rushed to Kalwa Civil Hospital, where doctors referred More to Jupiter Hospital. Doctors at Kalwa Civil Hospital declared Shinde brought dead. His body will be sent to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for post-mortem. At the same time, mother and uncle of accused Akshay Shinde called the incident an encounter and demanded justice.
Meanwhile, the lawyer of the victimized girls has called it a miscarriage of justice. Last month, massive protests erupted on the streets and at the local railway station after Shinde allegedly sexually assaulted two girls in a school toilet in Thane district.
Allegation of sexual harassment
On August 1, the school hired Akshay Shinde (23) on contract to clean its toilets. On August 12, the two girls were allegedly sexually assaulted in the school washroom. The accused was arrested on August 17. The Bombay High Court on September 3 asked the police to build a strong case and not file a charge sheet in haste under public pressure. The incident has been condemned by opposition parties, who have questioned the turn of events and even asked if it was an attempt to destroy evidence in a case that had sparked national outrage.
Alleged negligence on the part of the police
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed that the encounter was to save some other people. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Vijay Vadettiwar said this is shocking. There should be a judicial inquiry into this incident. Vadettiwar said is this an attempt to destroy evidence? How did he get away with the revolver and how could the police be so careless? We demand a judicial inquiry into the matter.
Shot in self defense
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the police shot the accused Akshay Shinde in self-defence. The Chief Minister said that Akshay Shinde’s ex-wife had accused him of sexual violence and the police were taking him for investigation in connection with the allegations. He grabbed the policeman’s gun and opened fire. The police fired in self-defense.
Targeting the opposition
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andharey compared the incident to the 2019 shooting deaths of four rape accused in Telangana. He said even there the police claimed that it was done in self-defence. However, the truth never came out because of death. The same will happen in the Badlapur sexual harassment case. Was Akshay Shinde killed because he was hiding something more sinister? Why are school administrators still absconding?
Andhare questions how Akshay Shinde managed to snatch the revolver despite being handcuffed and how he knew how to use it. He said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home Department, should answer these questions. He said this shows the state’s home minister’s inability to handle serious matters.
Questioning the integrity of the police
Chief Minister Shinde replied to this and said that earlier the opposition forces had demanded to hang Akshay Shinde. Now they are taking their side and questioning the honesty of Maharashtra Police. Such action of opposition leaders is reprehensible and unfortunate. Asked about the opposition’s allegation that the accused was killed to garner political sympathy, the Chief Minister said that these parties were frightened by the success of his government’s Chief Minister Mari Ladki Behen Yojana.
