Badlapur Case Updates: What One Of The Two Girls In Thane Revealed To Her Parents
News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/21st August 2024
A massive protest unfolded at Badlapur railway station in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Tuesday, triggered by the shocking revelation of alleged sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls at a local school. The protest, which involved thousands of demonstrators, led to severe disruptions in train services, with local train operations being halted and several long-distance trains rerouted.
The unrest began following allegations that Akshay Shinde, a 23-year-old male cleaner newly hired on August 1, 2024, sexually assaulted the young girls in their school’s washroom. The incidents reportedly occurred on August 12 and 13, in the girls’ toilet, which was unfortunately not supervised by female staff. The situation came to light when one of the victims complained of discomfort and disclosed her ordeal to her parents. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that a second girl had also been victimized. An official complaint was lodged on the night of August 16, which led to Shinde’s arrest.
According to an FIR, the assaults happened between 9 am and 12 pm on August 13. The alarm was raised when the family of one girl learned from the other girl’s relatives about the planned complaint regarding the sexual abuse. The distressed victim had described her abuser as an older male at school, referring to him as “dada,” which translates to “elder brother” in Marathi. The family promptly reported the matter to the police, but there was a delay of approximately 12 hours before the FIR was officially filed.
The situation escalated when the affected families, initially conducting a silent protest outside the school, were joined by a larger crowd between 9:30 am and 10 am. This surge in protestors, coupled with insufficient police presence, intensified the situation. Despite attempts by local leaders and police officials, the crowd’s anger only grew. The school responded by suspending the principal and three staff members, yet the protesters demanded harsher punishments for Shinde, including the death penalty.
The protests disrupted train services significantly, with the Government Railway Police (GRP) commissioner, Ravindra Shisve, attempting to calm the situation by promising stern actions against the accused. However, the protesters continued their blockade, leading to further confrontations with police. In response to escalating tensions, police used tear gas and lathi-charged the crowd, who then retaliated with stone-pelting.
As a result of the protests, 12 mail express trains were diverted, and 30 local trains faced partial cancellations, severely affecting rail transport in the region. Despite these disruptions, services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Ambernath, as well as towards Kasara, remained operational.
The incident has stirred a wave of outrage and concern, highlighting the urgent need for stricter measures to ensure the safety of children in educational institutions and the importance of prompt justice in cases of sexual abuse.
