Badlapur School Abuse Accused Akshay Shinde Killed in Police Shooting During ‘Escape’ Attempt
Badlapur, 23rd September 2024: Akshay Shinde, who faced allegations of sexual abuse in a Badlapur school, died during a police operation on Monday when he attempted to flee. Initial reports indicate that he seized a firearm from a police officer and opened fire to escape, resulting in injuries to one officer. Shinde was under investigation by the Thane Crime Branch following a complaint of unnatural sexual acts filed by his ex-wife. A court had issued a warrant for his arrest the previous day, prompting the Crime Branch team to transfer him from Taloja jail to Badlapur. The incident occurred near the Mumbra bypass, where Shinde managed to grab an officer’s revolver and fired three shots before being shot himself. He was subsequently rushed to Kalwa Hospital in Thane.
Shinde had been arrested for allegedly abusing two young girls at a school in Badlapur, located in Maharashtra’s Thane district. The 24-year-old worked as a sweeper, contracted through a cleaning company since August 1. He was taken into custody on August 17 after the allegations surfaced, which claimed that he had assaulted the girls in the school’s restroom. The incident sparked significant public outrage, leading parents and community members to block railway tracks at Badlapur station and vandalize a nearby school in protest.
The demonstrations aimed to voice anger over the situation and demand harsh penalties for Shinde. In response, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appointed senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor for the case and assured that it would be tried in a Fast Track court. Additionally, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a comprehensive investigation and announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter.
