New Delhi: A wave of outrage has swept through Badlapur, Maharashtra, as the state government took swift action against three police officials accused of dereliction of duty in a horrifying case of sexual abuse of two minor girls at a local school.
The suspension of the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head constable comes after hundreds of parents and citizens protested, blocking railway traffic and demanding accountability.
The incident reportedly happened inside the school toilet and involved a member of the cleaning staff who allegedly abused the two young girls. The crime came to light when one of the girls complained of pain in private parts, leading her parents to seek medical attention, where the abuse was confirmed.
The opposition blamed that there was a delay in filing the complaint, with parents alleging an 11-hour wait at the police station. Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded the immediate suspension of the police officer responsible for this delay, highlighting the lack of sensitivity and the urgent need for accountability. “Atrocities are committed on a three-and-half-year-old girl, a four-year-old girl, and at the police station, they (parents) are made to wait for 11 hours when they seek to file a complaint….Is there any sensitivity left? I spoke to the police commissioner and told him that the woman police officer responsible for this delay must be suspended immediately,” Wadettiwar said.
The Eknath Shinde government has responded by forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations and has also ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to prepare a proposal for a fast-track court to expedite the trial.
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the safety of children in schools and the urgent need for comprehensive measures to prevent such tragedies. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed the state’s collective outrage and called for the swift implementation of the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, a proposed legislation aimed at improving the safety of women and children.
“Two young girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur, Maharashtra on the school premises; the entire state is outraged and seeks justice. I once again urge the Rashtrapati Bhavan to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, no other child or woman faces this travesty. Shame on the state government for continuing to ignore the safety of women,” Chaturvedi said.