On Tuesday, the High Court of Bombay reprimanded the Special Investigation Team (SIT) handling the Badlapur school sexual assault case, for its inability to apprehend the two accused school trustees. A division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere & Prithviraj Chavan questioned how the police who typically make every effort to apprehend suspects have not managed to arrest these people.
The Court in August took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the case.
Here’s what court says?
Advocate General Birendra Saraf informed the court that the two accused are still absconding & have not been apprehended. The duo has filed for anticipatory bail in the High Court. “The police goes to any extent to nab an accused. How come they have not been able to apprehend these two? Are they waiting for them to get anticipatory bail?” the court said.
Saraf said the police were taking all steps to apprehend the duo. The court posted the matter for further hearing on October 23.
The two school trustees, including the chairman & secretary, have been named as accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case. The duo has been booked under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for not reporting the incident to the police immediately & negligence.
Badlapur sexual assault case
Two girls – aged four & five – were sexually assaulted inside the washroom of a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra’s Thane district by a male attendant.
Akshay Shinde, 24, who worked as a contractual sweeper at a school in Badlapur town of Thane district was arrested on August 17 after massive outrage by the public over the allegations of sexual assault of two minor girls in school in a school toilet. He was killed by police in a shoot-out on September 23.
After he shot & injured an assistant inspector of police, another officer fired at him in retaliation, due to which he was badly wounded. He was declared dead at the Kalwa civil hospital, the police claimed.