Bombay HC Reviews Police Encounter Plea Amid Legal Controversy

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expressed serious concerns regarding the police encounter of Badlapur sexual assault accused Akshay Shinde, stating, “It is difficult to believe this. Prima facie, there seem to be issues.”

Court’s Observations

Justice Chavan remarked, “It is difficult to believe this. A common man can’t fire a pistol because it requires strength. A revolver can’t be unlocked quickly by a physically weak man. It is not very easy.”

Petition for SIT Probe

Akshay Shinde’s father, Anna Shinde, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged encounter of his son. In the petition, filed through advocate Amit Katranware, Anna Shinde claims that his son was killed in a fake encounter.

Direction for Investigation

The Bombay High Court directed that all case papers be immediately handed over to the state CID, which will conduct an investigation into Shinde’s death. The court questioned, “Why are the files not handed over to the CID yet?”

While the court clarified that it was not raising any suspicion at this stage, it expressed difficulty in believing that Akshay Shinde managed to seize a pistol from a police officer and open fire.

The Bombay High Court has scheduled the next hearing in this case for October 3.

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Background of the Case

The 23-year-old accused was arrested on August 17, five days after allegedly sexually abusing two girls in a school toilet. The former school janitor was being transported from Taloja Central Jail to the Thane Crime Branch office under transit remand when he allegedly opened fire on the police with their revolver near the Mumbra bypass.

According to information from Thane Police, Shinde snatched the weapon from a police official and opened fire during a bid to escape police custody. He was taken to the hospital where he later died. Shinde’s body was transferred from Kalwa Civic Hospital in Thane to JJ Hospital for a post-mortem on Tuesday.

Shinde’s death has sparked controversy between the ruling Mahayuti government and the opposition in Maharashtra, which is preparing for Assembly polls later this year.

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