The Maharashtra Government told the Bombay High Court, on Tuesday, that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had completed the investigation over the Badlapur sexual assault case and that a senior police officer has been suspended for dereliction of duty.
Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, appearing for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which investigated the case, told a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan that the probe was complete and the SIT disbanded, according to PTI.
The state government further said that two charge sheets have been filed against the slain accused, Akshay Shinde in the case and trustees of the school. Shinde was arrested in August for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, aged four and five, in the toilet of their school in Badlapur in Thane district, leading to a huge outrage and staging of protests.
He was later shot dead on September 23, at Mumbra Bypass while being taken to Badlapur from Taloja Jail in connection with the probe into a case filed on the complaint of his former wife.
He snatched the pistol of an Assistant Police Inspector (API), leaving the latter injured, following which he was gunned down by an officer leading the escort team.
A departmental inquiry was initiated against Badlpur police station officials for delay in registering an FIR and investigation. The female officer, who was the senior police inspector of Badlpur police station, had been suspended after the departmental inquiry. “Her two year increment has also been stopped,” Venegaonkar told the court.
The HC had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance and ordered the formation of a committee of experts to examine the safety of children in schools and other educational institutions. Venegaonkar told the bench on Tuesday that the committee would submit its report in January 2025.
The father of Badlapur sexual assault case accused had sought police protection for himself and kin claiming they were getting threats in September. The court posted the matter for further hearing on December 19 on the issue of granting police protection to the parents of the slain accused who had apprehended an attack by certain persons.
Venegaonkar told the court that the parents had declined police protection but expressed apprehension about targeting their house. However, Advocate Amit Katarnaware, appearing for the parents of the slain accused, however, said they didn’t decline police protection, as per PTI.
Earlier in December, the court came down heavily on the Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID) for taking “lightly” the probe into the killing of Shinde in a shootout.
