Badlapur sexual assault case: Opposition’s state-wide agitation today; NHRC seeks detailed report

Mumbai: The Opposition leaders in Maharashtra will today hold a state-wide agitation against the ruling Mahayuti coalition government over the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur town in Thane. Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT) yesterday announced that his party will launch a state-wide agitation against the Eknath Shinde-led government from Wednesday.

• A massive protest was witnessed in Badlapur on Tuesday over the alleged sexual assault of two 4-year-old girls with agitators blocking railway tracks at Badlapur station, leading to massive disruption of local train services and diversion of some long-distance trains. Protestors also stormed the local school building, where the alleged incident had occurred.
• The two girls were allegedly sexually abused by the school sweeper. Police on August 17 arrested the accused. As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the washroom of the school.
• Amid huge outrage over the incident, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant, over the incident.
• The state government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of the two girls.
• Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured action against the school, adding that the case will be fast-tracked and the guilty won’t be spared. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said a special investigation team headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh has been formed to probe into the incident.
• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report from the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Maharashtra on the incident. It also sought clarity on the reasons behind the reported “12-hour delay” in registering the FIR after the parents lodged a complaint with the police.
• Renowned lawyer Ujjwal Nikam has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the case. A Padma Shri awardee, Nikam has worked on high-profile murder and terrorism cases including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.