Badlapur Sexual Assault: Accused’s Father Seeks SIT Probe Into Son’s ‘Fake Encounter’, Moves High Court

The father of the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case approached the Bombay High Court on Tuesday, requesting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged killing of his son by the police.

Anna Shinde, in a petition filed through advocate Amit Katarnaware, alleged that his son was killed in a “fake encounter.” He requested the formation of an SIT to probe the killing, with the high court overseeing the investigation.

“The accused was in custody when he was shot dead in a fake encounter. This is a cold-blooded murder by criminals in uniforms,” stated advocate Katarnaware.

The petition is set to be heard by a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere.

Akshay Shinde, 24, arrested for sexually assaulting two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur last month, was killed near the Mumbra bypass on Monday evening.

According to Thane Police, the Badlapur rape suspect snatched a service pistol from Sub-Inspector Nilesh More’s waist and fired three rounds at the police team. While Nilesh suffered injuries in the left thigh, senior inspector Sanjay Shinde fired the final shot that took down the accused.

The incident took place while police were escorting Shinde from Taloja Central Jail to Thane for questioning related to a case filed against him last week by his estranged second wife at the Boisar police station.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) is expected to take over the investigation into the killing of Shinde, officials said on Tuesday.

Earlier, a team of forensic science experts examined the police vehicle in which Shinde was allegedly shot by an officer, collecting blood samples and four empty bullet casings for investigation.

Political Controversy Erupts Over “Retaliatory Firing”

The incident of the police’s “retaliatory firing” on the accused has sparked a political uproar in the state. Opposition leaders have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the “encounter killing” of Shinde.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described the killing of the Badlapur sexual assault suspect as “God’s justice” and accused the Opposition of adopting the rhetoric of “urban Naxals” by questioning the incident.

The Maharashtra government has asserted that Shinde was shot dead in “self-defence” by police after he allegedly snatched a gun from an officer escorting him and opened fire, injuring an assistant inspector. However, leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have disputed this account and are demanding a judicial probe.

(With inputs from PTI)