'Shocking, raises suspicion': Opposition to sexual assault accused shot dead by police in Badlapur | Latest news from India

Terming it as “incompetence” of the Mahayuti government, Shiv Sena MP (UBT) Priyanka Chaturvedi added that the co-accused in the case were absconding. She said the entire row was a “story written by the state government”.

In a post on X, the Rajya Sabha MP wrote, “The accused is dead and the other school board members and BJP office-bearers accused under POCSO are absconding. This is a textbook example of an incompetent government's tactic of going out of its way.”

“It will soon become clear that no one sexually harassed the six-year-olds. A story that was written, promoted and implemented by the state government,” Chaturvedi added.

Anand Dubey, spokesperson of the Shiv Sena (UBT), said: “…The Home Minister and the police should form an SIT to investigate the matter as there are many doubts. The government and the police should clarify and tell the public what happened…”

On Monday evening, Akshay Shinde, who is accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls in Badlapur, snatched a gun from a policeman and opened fire on them, injuring one policeman. Shinde was injured by police gunfire and later succumbed to his injuries.

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed that the “encounter” took place to save “some other” people.

Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, demanded a judicial inquiry into the case, while Nana Patole, leader of the state Congress, questioned whether the “encounter” was to rescue the school's trustees, who have not yet been arrested.

NCP(SP) leader Sharad Pawar wrote on X that the incident had “raised suspicions”: “The injustice done to two children in Badlapur should have rightly attracted the death penalty under the relevant laws. However, the negligence of the Home Ministry in handing over the main accused in this case raises suspicions. It seems that the government has failed to instill enough fear of the law to prevent anyone from even imagining such a heinous act in the future. A thorough investigation into this incident is likely to bring out the truth.”

NCP MP Supriya Sule strongly criticised the Mahayuti government and said, “The Mahayuti government's actions in the Badlapur sexual assault case of two minor girls are shocking! First delay in filing the complaint and now the main accused is killed in custody! This is a complete breakdown of the legal and judicial system. This is inexcusable, it is depriving the people of Maharashtra of justice.”

The accused's uncle Akshay Shinde told a Marathi television channel that he met his nephew in Taloja jail on Monday and learned that the police had been regularly beating him.

Shinde was hired as a toilet cleaner by a government school in Badlapur. He was accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls in the school's washroom, a case that sparked nationwide protests. The alleged assaults took place on August 12 and Shinde was arrested by the police on August 17.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)