Akshay Shinde, the prime accused in the rape case of two minor girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district of Maharashtra, died after being fired upon in a retaliatory firing by the police on Monday. The encounter between Akshay Shinde and the police took place when he was being taken from Taloja jail to Thane for treatment.
Badlapur Accused Killed In Retaliatory Firing
According to the police, the incident took place when the accused was being taken for treatment. He snatched a constable's gun and shot at the police officer. Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More was injured in this firing. Police Inspector Sanjay Shinde fired the last shot, in which he was injured. He later passed away in the hospital.
Who is Inspector Sanjay Shinde?
Police Inspector Sanjay Shinde is known as an encounter specialist, having worked closely with IPS officer Pradeep Sharma in the Anti-Extortion Cell of Thane Crime Branch. Sharma, famous for neutralising over 100 criminals through encounters, has been featured in Netflix's docuseries Mumbai Mafia: Police vs Underworld.
Shinde’s career highlights include the high-profile arrest of Iqbal Kaskar, the brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, in an extortion case in 2017. Prior to this, he had served in the Mumbai Police and was recently appointed to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the Maharashtra government to probe the Badlapur rape case.
Controversial Involvements
Sanjay Shinde’s career has not been without controversy. In 2012, he was questioned after Vijay Palande, accused of two murders, escaped from police custody. Shinde's uniform was found in the SUV used in the escape, raising questions about his role. He has also been involved in a shooting incident with another officer, leading to an internal investigation.
Akshay Shinde's Family Claims Fake Encounter
The family of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur rape case, has disputed the police’s version of events surrounding his death in an encounter. They allege that the encounter was staged, and Akshay was being coerced by the police into confessing to the sexual assault charges.
According to his mother and uncle, the claim that he snatched a policeman’s gun and fired at officers, leading to police firing in self-defence, is fabricated. They argue that his confession was extracted under pressure.
Family Demands Investigation
Akshay Shinde's father, Anna Shinde, insists that his son's death should be investigated, alleging a conspiracy between the police and the school management. He shared that Akshay had been sending messages to his family, claiming he was being beaten in custody and had requested money.
The family further highlighted Akshay’s timid nature, noting he was afraid of bursting firecrackers and crossing roads, which makes the claim of him attacking policemen with a gun seem implausible. Additionally, the charges against Akshay had not been proven in court.
Postmortem & Inquiry
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has ordered a high-level inquiry into Akshay Shinde's death. His body was transferred from Kalwa Civic Hospital to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for postmortem. The postmortem report is awaited to clarify the cause of death.
According to the police, 24-year-old Akshay Shinde was accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls in a school in Badlapur town of Thane district. Akshay Shinde, a sweeper in the school in Badlapur, was arrested on August 17. Five days before his arrest, he allegedly sexually assaulted two girls in the school toilet.
BJP Targets Opposition
The BJP attacked the opposition over the encounter death of the Badlapur sexual assault accused and called the opposition alliance a "Balatkari Bachao Alliance". BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that on one hand Maharashtra and Badlapur have heaved a sigh of relief, while on the other hand the opposition parties are mourning the death of a rapist. Is this a 'Balatkari Bachao Alliance'?
