 "Badlapur child abuse: Mob attacks family of accused, vandalises his home | India News")
People block railway tracks to protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school at Badlapur railway station in Thane (Photo: PTI)
A mob of enraged locals attacked and vandalised the house of Akshay Shinde, the accused sweeper, arrested for allegedly sexually abusing two minor girls at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra. The incident occurred on Wednesday in Thane district, sparking outrage and leading to widespread protests.
Eyewitnesses reported that a mob of approximately 50-100 people forcefully entered Shinde’s rented accommodation near the Gamdevi temple in Kharvayi village, Badlapur (East). The group allegedly assaulted his family members and caused extensive damage to the property.
Visuals shared on social media platforms depicted a scene of destruction, with a broken ceiling fan and household items scattered across the room.
According to neighbours, the attack took place while Shinde was in police custody.
“A large group of mostly young men barged into Shinde’s house, attacking his family members and destroying furniture,” a neighbour recounted. Another local resident mentioned that Shinde’s relatives, living nearby, were also assaulted and forced to flee. Notably, there were no police officers present during the attack.
Shinde, a contract cleaner employed through a third-party agency, was arrested on August 17 after being accused of sexually abusing two four-year-old girls in a school toilet. The arrest followed persistent demands from the victims’ parents for a formal complaint, despite an initial delay in filing the FIR. On Wednesday (August 21), a local court extended Shinde’s police custody until August 26.
Badlapur sexual abuse triggers public outcry
The horrifying crime has triggered massive public outcry. On Tuesday, thousands of protestors blocked railway tracks at Badlapur station, causing significant disruption to local train services and the diversion of long-distance trains. The blockade, which lasted for ten hours, led to the suspension of services on the Ambernath-Karjat section and left thousands of passengers stranded.
In response, the Thane Police arrested over 70 people and filed an FIR against at least 300 individuals involved in the protest. The incident also saw 25 police personnel, including railway officers, injured in incidents of stone-pelting. Heavy police deployment has since been put in place across Badlapur to restore order, with the situation now reportedly under control.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the large-scale protests and will hear the matter on Thursday (August 22). A division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan is expected to review the situation, as reported by Live Law.
In a related development, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition — including the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), and the Congress — has announced a Maharashtra Bandh on August 24 to protest the heinous crime. The bandh is expected to witness widespread participation across the state.
First Published: Aug 22 2024 | 11:00 AM IST
