Badlapur police encounter: Accused said he would not spare anyone in van, says officer

A forensic team examines the police van in which Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case of two minor girls, was killed in an encounter with police in Thane on September 24, 2024. | Image credit: PTI

Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case who died in an alleged shootout, had said he would not spare anyone after snatching a pistol from a police van, an official claimed on Tuesday (September 24, 2024).

He struck back in self-defense because Akshay's behavior suggested he would kill everyone, said Inspector Sanjay Shinde, who shot the accused.

The Mumbra police have filed a preliminary complaint against Akshay for attempting to murder for opening fire at a police officer.

The FIR is based on the complaint of Inspector Sanjay Shinde, investigating officer of the SIT set up to probe the sexual abuse of two nursery school girls at a school in Badlapur, in the case in which Akshay (24) was the accused.

In his complaint, Inspector Shinde said that he was also conducting an investigation into another offence registered by the Badlapur police on a complaint filed by Askhay's first wife, who accused him of sexual harassment and unnatural sexual intercourse.

The encounter

On Monday evening (September 24, 2024), a police team picked up Akshay from Taloja jail to investigate his wife's case, the complaint said.

Inspector Shinde sat next to the driver in the cab, while two police constables and Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More sat with Akshay in the rear of the car.

When they reached near Shil-Daighar police station, API More called Inspector Shinde and told him that Akshay had asked why they were taking him and what new crime he had committed. Akshay then started abusing the policemen, after which Inspector Shinde stopped the car, went to the back and sat with the others, the complaint said.

Akshay was flanked by API More and constable Abhijit More. Inspector Sanjay Shinde and constable Harish Tawde sat opposite him.

At 6.15 pm, when the van reached the foot of the Mumbra Devi Temple on the Mumbra Bypass, Akshay suddenly tried to pull out API More's pistol, the complaint said.

In the scuffle that ensued, the gun was unlocked and a shot was fired; the bullet hit API More, who collapsed, the complaint states.

Akshay then grabbed the gun, pointed it at Inspector Shinde and the policeman and said, “Now I will not leave anyone alive,” the complaint said.

He fired two shots, but both successfully dodged them, Inspector Shinde claimed.

Akshay's body language suggested that he would certainly try to kill all the occupants of the van, Inspector Shinde said, adding that he therefore fired a shot in self-defence, which hit Akshay.

The accused fell and the policemen held him while the car was rushed to Kalwa Civil Hospital where doctors declared Akshay dead, the complaint said.

Akshay's family has disputed the police version and claimed that he died in a staged encounter. His father has approached the Bombay High Court seeking an SIT probe.