• By Nidhi Giri
  • Tue, 20 Aug 2024 03:34 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Badlapur School News: The 23-year-old male cleaning staff who allegedly sexually assaulted two 4-year-old girls studying in the pre-primary classes of a prominent co-ed school in Thane’s Badlapur, was arrested after the parents insisted on filing a formal complaint despite initial attempts by the police to suppress the issue by delaying filing of the FIR for over 12 hours. The accused, identified as Akshay Shinde, worked as a cleaner contracted through a third-party company.

The incident triggered massive protests across Thane district by agitated residents. The parents and residents, demanding capital punishment for the culprit, blocked the Mumbai rail route at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday by protesting on the tracks. Train services were brought to a standstill between Kalyan and Karajat. Visuals showed protesters pelting stones at cops as they fled across the railway tracks.

Taking cognisance of the incident, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has decided to send a team to Badlapur for investigation.

READ MORE: Arunachal Govt Makes Inner Line Permit Mandatory To Prevent Illegal Entry, Prolonged Stay Of Non-Local Migrants

The school, meanwhile, issued a public statement expressing regret over the incident, acknowledging the serious lapses in safeguarding students. The administration promised to install additional CCTV cameras throughout the campus and implement stringent safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future. They also assured full cooperation with the authorities.

However, the parents were not satisfied with the measures and the management was forced to suspend the principal. The teacher in-charge of the class that the girls studied in and the two attendants responsible for escorting students to the washroom have also been dismissed. The school’s administration has also terminated its contract with the company that employed the accused and blacklisted the contractor.

Schools in the area remained closed on Tuesday in solidarity with the protesting parents. The incident also led to administrative changes within the local police force as the senior police inspector of Badlapur police station, who was accused of attempting to suppress the case, was immediately transferred.

READ MORE: Kota: 18-Year-Old IIT Aspirant Found Dead In Bathroom Under Mysterious Circumstances

This incident comes amid national outrage over the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.
Politicians cutting across party lines condemned the incident, with Maharashtra’s home minister Devendra Fadnavis ordering Thane police commissioner to submit a proposal to expedite the case.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde requested protesters to not block tracks. “I have asked the police to make this case water-tight. We will not spare anyone, be it a police officer or school administration,” he said.