The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has initiated an inquiry into the sexual assault of two young kindergarten students at Adarsh School in Badlapur, Maharashtra. The incident, which took place in Badlapur city, involved a school janitor, Akshay Shinde, and has triggered widespread protests, leading to the temporary suspension of internet services. As of today, these services have been restored.
Key Highlights
- Local train operations on the Ambernath-Karjat section have resumed after a 10-hour hiatus due to massive demonstrations at Badlapur station.
- The protests erupted over the Badlapur school case, where two young girls were sexually assaulted.
- NCPCR will dispatch a team to Badlapur City for a thorough investigation.
The incident, which occurred on August 13 at Adarsh School in Badlapur, Maharashtra, has sparked outrage in the community. The two girls, aged three and four, were assaulted by the school’s janitor, Akshay Shinde. The crime came to light on August 16 when one of the victims narrated the ordeal to her parents. Shinde was arrested the following day.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BADLAPUR SCHOOL CASE:
On Tuesday, a large crowd gathered at Badlapur station, leading to the diversion of 12 express and mail trains, partial cancellation of 30 local trains, and rerouting of several long-distance trains. The Badlapur protest intensified as enraged locals vandalized Adarsh School and damaged a bus near the station. Police had to resort to lathi charges to clear the rail tracks after nine hours of unrest.
Parents of the victims expressed their frustration, alleging that an FIR was only registered 12 hours after they reported the incident. Thane news sources confirmed that the CCTV cameras at the school were non-functional, hampering the investigation. A local doctor also verified injuries to the private parts of one of the minors.
Concerns were raised over why a female staff member was not assigned to clean the girls' restroom, a standard practice that could have prevented such a tragedy.
Families of the victims waited for hours at the school before the police arrived to record the girls' statements. In response, the school management suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant. Akshay Shinde had been employed on a contractual basis since August 1.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, while commenting on the Badlapur case, demanded a swift trial and justice for the victims. He alleged that Adarsh School, where the girls were assaulted, has connections to BJP leaders, accusing them of politicizing crimes against women in specific states.
The Maharashtra government responded by suspending three police officers, including a senior inspector, for negligence in handling the case. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the Badlapur school case more thoroughly.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the Thane Police Commissioner to propose fast-tracking the case in court. Meanwhile, the accused, Akshay Shinde, has been remanded to police custody for three days.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured that the case would be expedited, and the perpetrators involved in the Badlapur case would not escape justice.
NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanungo, in an interview with ANI, criticized the school authorities for attempting to cover up the incident and condemned the delay in filing the FIR. He emphasized that the school’s administration in Badlapur would face consequences for their negligence and efforts to suppress the case.
(Inputs from various agencies)
