Outrage Erupts in Badlapur as School Sweeper Arrested for Alleged Sexual Assault of Two Young Girls

Outrage Erupts in Badlapur as School Sweeper Arrested for Alleged Sexual Assault of Two Young Girls

Massive protests gripped the city of Badlapur on Tuesday over a horrifying incident of alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a school sweeper. The accused, Akshay Shinde, was employed by a third-party contractor and was arrested following demands from enraged parents who insisted on filing a formal complaint despite the initial delays by the local police.

The delay in filing the FIR, which was more than 12 hours, only enraged the parents all the more, triggering widespread protests. With protesters demanding the severest punishment to the perpetrator, accented with demonstrations, Badlapur came to a standstill, with even local train services between Kalyan and Karjat getting suspended. The agitation led to the closure of schools in the locality in token of solidarity with the bereaved families.

Responding to the outrage, NCPCR has expressed its decision to dispatch an investigation team to Badlapur. The school, which earlier failed to prevent such a serious incident, tendered a public apology, admitting grave lapses in the security arrangement of the institution. The administration vowed to take stricter security measures by installing more CCTV cameras on the premises to avoid such incidents in the future.

The outrage of the parents did not die down even after these assurances and the school principal has since been suspended while the class teacher, attendants who escort the students to the washroom and other staff have been removed. The school has also ended an association with the contractor that employed the accused, blacklisting the company to ensure such negligence does not recur.

Also Read: Saif Ali Khan Reflects on His ‘Angrez’ Image: ‘Raised as an Eastern Prince’ Despite Western Influences

The incident has led to major administrative changes within the local police force as the senior inspector of Badlapur police station was transferred for allegedly attempting to suppress the case. Delayed response by Police drew widespread criticism, and accordingly, Maharashtra’s Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the Thane police commissioner to expedite the case.

As the probe continues, urgency from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been seen while urging protesters not to block railway tracks and promising that the case will be taken seriously. “We will not spare anyone, be it a police officer or school administration,” he asserted, showing how grave the situation is and how committed the state government is towards justice.