The accused in Badlapur school sexual assault case, Akshay Shinde was arrested on August 17. (Image: News18 Marathi)
The family of the accused, Akshay Shinde, called the incident an “encounter” and sought justice while the Maharashtra government said cops acted in “self-defence” even as the opposition demanded a thorough probe
The death of the Badlapur sex assault accused in police custody, has snowballed into a major political controversy in Maharashtra. Akshay Shinde’s family called the incident an “encounter” and sought justice while the Maharashtra government said cops acted in “self-defence” even as the opposition demanded a thorough probe and questioned the chain of events.
Thane police commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre has formed an eight-member inquiry committee to investigate the incident, which took place near Mumbra Bypass when the accused was being taken to Badlapur from Taloja jail for an investigation around 6.15 pm on Monday (September 23).
The panel will be headed by additional police commissioner Punjabrao Ugle and comprises two deputy commissioners of police, two assistant commissioners of police and two police inspectors.
After a ‘panchnama’, Akshay Shinde’s body was brought to JJ Hospital for a post-mortem. His mother and uncle alleged it was a conspiracy by the police and management of the Badlapur school, where the accused worked as a sweeper and had allegedly sexually assaulted two students. His father, Anna Shinde, said an inquiry should be conducted into his son’s killing.
Speaking to reporters outside the hospital, Akshay’s mother and uncle questioned the police version and asserted he could not have snatched the weapon of a policeman. They claimed that the accused had told them he was being beaten up in custody and had also sent a chit seeking money.
“The police have killed our child. The school management must also be probed. The police got him to write something but we don’t know what it is,” his mother said. “My son was afraid of bursting crackers and crossing the road. How can he shoot at policemen?”
Akshay allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife. After he shot and injured an assistant police inspector, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at Kalwa civil hospital.
“I met him yesterday. He was fine at that time. He asked me when he will be released, and I said in a month. He told me to send money for food and gave me a number to send it to. He had a piece of paper in his hand and told me to look at what was written on it. An hour later, they carried out an encounter on him,” the mother alleged.
“He had gone to work at the school; I don’t know what happened there. He didn’t even know how to drive a car, how could he fire such a big gun? Those who killed my child should be punished too. We want justice,” she added.
What is the Maharashtra government saying?
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said Akshay died in an exchange of fire in the police vehicle. They said the police shot him dead in self-defence.
“Akshay Shinde’s ex-wife had accused him of sexual violence and the police was taking him for a probe regarding these allegations. He snatched the gun of a police personnel opened fire. Police fired back in self-defence,” CM Shinde told reporters.
Fadnavis seconded the chain of events described by the chief minister and said police opened fire in self-defence. “The opposition raises questions on every issue. They had wanted him to be hanged. It is wrong to say such things when the police tried to save lives,” he said.
Thane Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske, meanwhile, called the incident “nature’s justice” and accused the opposition of politicising it. He said the CM and his deputy are committed to keeping citizens safe, adding that the job of the police was to ensure “clean and crime-free society”.
“Two chargesheets were filed against Shinde, and I was the public prosecutor in both cases. Going by the submitted documents, there was sufficient evidence against Shinde. Maybe because of that, Shinde tried ending his life. We cannot rule out this possibility. A judicial probe will bring out the truth in this case,” said Ujjwal Nikam, who unsuccessfully fought the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket.
“The two young girls had already identified Akshay Shinde, and the Maharashtra police had collected other evidence against him,” he said, adding that it would be inappropriate to jump to conclusions.
(With PTI inputs)
