Badlapur sexual assault case: Bombay HC takes suo motu cognizance of incident; hearing today

Amid violent protests in the state, the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the Badlapur sexual assault case against two kindergarten girls. The matter will be heard today by a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan.

In recent days, Maharashtra has been under a volatile situation due to massive protests observed over alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls, and 72 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence during the stir, officials said. At least 17 city police personnel and around eight railway cops were injured in the incidents of stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur during the protest on Tuesday, they said.

Police have been deployed in large numbers across Badlapur to maintain law and order, and the situation in the town is back to normal.


What action has been taken till now?
Police on August 17 arrested an attendant at the school for sexually abusing the two girl students of the kindergarten. As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school.

In the wake of the incident, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant. 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.

Angry parents of the school children and local citizens, including several women, gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning and also resorted to a 'rail roko' protest at the railway station, blocking the path of local trains from around 8.30 am.

SIT to probe Badlapur case:
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said he has ordered the formation of a special investigation team headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said action will be taken against the school. He said the case will be fast-tracked and the guilty won't be spared.

A local court on Wednesday extended till August 26 the police remand of the accused.

Maharashtra bandh to protest Badlapur incident:
Amid the ongoing protests over the alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls by a school attendant in Maharashtra's Badlapur, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has called for a Maharashtra Bandh on August 24.

In a meeting that was called for the discussion on seat sharing for the upcoming assembly elections on Wednesday, the MVA decided to call for a strike over the incident.

Speaking on the matter, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, "We had come here to discuss seat sharing but then we thought that we would not discuss seat sharing and instead discuss the law and order in the state after the Badlapur incident. The people of Maharashtra are agitated and FIRs have been registered against those who protested. We have decided that on August 24, MVA will call for Maharashtra Bandh over the Badlapur incident."

(with agency inputs)