A man arrested for the sexual abuse of two young girls in Maharashtra was fatally shot by police on Monday after he attacked officers and opened fire. The incident has sparked a political debate in the state, with opposition parties raising questions about the use of lethal force.
Akshay Shinde, who was accused of raping two girls at a school in Badlapur, was being transported from jail in a police vehicle when he managed to seize a weapon from an officer and fired at the authorities. Two police officials were injured in the ensuing exchange of gunfire.
The accused was critically wounded in the police response and later died in a hospital. The injured officers, Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More and Inspector Sanjay Shinde, have been hospitalized. Sanjay Shinde, who is a member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Badlapur case, is known for his involvement in the arrest of Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar.
The incident has led to a political uproar in Maharashtra. The state’s deputy chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, defended the police action, stating that they were forced to use lethal force in self-defense. However, opposition parties, such as the Shiv Sena (UBT), have criticized the government’s handling of the situation, alleging a “shoot-and-scoot” tactic to cover up failures in the investigation.
Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, questioned the government’s narrative, suggesting that the accused may have been killed to divert attention from the involvement of other individuals, including school board members and BJP office bearers, who were also accused of negligence in the case.
Shinde was arrested in August for sexually assaulting two girls, aged four and five, in a school toilet. The incident sparked widespread protests and outrage in the community. The school’s chairman and secretary have also been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for failing to report the incident to the police.
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