Badlapur school sexual assault accused opens fire at police, shot dead

The man accused of sexually assaulting two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra died in retaliatory firing by police after he snatched a cop's gun and opened fire, an official said on Monday.

Photograph: ANI on X

Akshay Shinde, who worked as a sweeper in the school, snatched the revolver of one of the policemen taking him from Taloja jail to Badlapur on Monday, the official said.

He was rushed to a hospital in Kalwa where he succumbed to his injuries, the official said. An assistant police inspector, injured in the firing by Shinde, is undergoing treatment at the hospital, he added.

When the vehicle reached near Mumbra bypass, Shinde snatched the revolver of one of the officers in the vehicle and fired two to three rounds, injuring the officer. In response, another officer opened fire on Shinde, injuring him.

The Thane police said Akshay Shinde was being taken to Badlapur from Taloja jail in connection with a fresh FIR registered against him on the complaint of his former wife.

The Central Crime Unit officials of Thane city police had obtained a transfer warrant to take charge of him in an FIR registered against him at Badlapur police station under Indian Penal Code sections 377, 324, 323 and 504, an official said late in the evening.

"The police team took charge of him at 5:30pm. When the police vehicle, while returning, was at Mumbra Bypass between 6pm and 6:15pm, Askhay Anna Shinde (24) snatched the service revolver of API Nilesh More and fired three rounds at the police party. One of the bullets hit the lap of More. Two others got fired elsewhere," he said.

"In self-defence, another officer from the police party fired one round at the alleged accused, injuring him. API More and Shinde were rushed to Kalwa civic hospital where doctors referred More to Jupiter hospital. Shinde was declared dead by the doctors at Kalwa civic hospital. His body will be sent to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for post mortem," the release from the force said.

The official said, on September 13, a 15-member special investigation team was formed under ACP Shekar Bagde and senior inspector Sanjay Shinde of the Central Crime Branch to investigate the FIR registered on his former wife's complaint.

He added the FIRs in connection with the sexual assault on two minor girls were registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The incidents took place on August 11-12 and Shinde was arrested on August 17.

Massive protests erupted on streets and at local railway station last month after two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by Shinde at the toilet of the school in Thane district.

The school had appointed 23-year-old Shinde on a contractual basis to clean their toilets on August 1.

The two minors were allegedly abused in the school toilet on August 12. The accused was arrested on August 17.

On September 3, the Bombay high court told the police to build a "watertight" case and do not file a charge sheet hurriedly under public pressure.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said police shot dead Badlapur school sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde in self-defence.

Opposition leaders expressed shock over the “encounter” and called for a detailed probe into the incident.

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed the “encounter” was done to save “some other” people.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said, “This is shocking. There should be a judicial probe into this incident.”

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole wondered if this “encounter” was done to save trustees of the school who have not been arrested so far.

Akshay's uncle told a Marathi TV channel that he met Akshay at Taloja jail on Monday and was told that police were beating him up on a regular basis.