High Court receives report on Badlapur sexual assault case, SIT says probe complete  

The High Court was informed that two chargesheets are filed in the case and a senior police officer has been suspended for dereliction of duty

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) informed the Bombay High Court on Tuesday (December 17, 2024) that the investigation in the Badlapur sexual assault case is completed and a senior police officer has been suspended for dereliction of duty.  

Representing the SIT, Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar submitted before the Division Bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan and said that after the departmental inquiry was conducted, a senior police inspector of Badlapur Police Station was suspended, and her two-year increment was also withheld.  

The Bench was hearing a suo moto PIL after the prime accused Akshay Shinde was killed in police custody on September 24. He was accused of sexually assaulting two minor school girls. The Bench had also ordered the formation of a committee of experts to examine the safety of children in schools. Earlier this month on December 2, the high court criticised the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for taking too long to solve the probe into the encounter case and directed the investigating team to submit a report.  

“A lady officer, who was the senior police inspector of Badlpur police station, has been suspended after the departmental inquiry. Her two-year increment has also been stopped. Two charge sheets have been filed against the slain accused and the trustees of the school. The probe in the case is over and the SIT is disbanded. The parents of the accused had declined police protection but expressed apprehension about targeting their house. However, a police constable has been deployed outside their house,” Mr. Venegaonkar submitted to the Court and added that the committee formed by the high court for recommending safety measures in school will submit the report in January 2025. 

Appearing for Shinde’s parents, advocate Amit Katarnaware refused to accept Mr. Venegaonkar’s claims on police protection to the parents and said the parents never declined from receiving police protection. 

The Bench accepted Mr. Venegaonkar’s statement and posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday and asked the parents to appear before the court on the issue of police protection. 

Published - December 17, 2024 09:30 pm IST