Shocking details have emerged related to the Maharashtra’s Badlapur minors’ sexual assault case with the relatives of the victims alleging serious negligence on the parts of school authorities and the police. A relative of one of the two young girls sexually abused at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra, has made serious allegations of negligence and harassment against both the school authorities and the police.
In a conversation with a leading daily, the family member claimed that the school principal dismissed medical reports that confirmed the sexual assault, instead suggesting that the injuries to the girl’s private parts could have been caused by bicycle riding.
The family member further stated that the parents faced significant delays at both the hospital and the police station. The two young girls, aged three and four, were sexually abused by a cleaning staff member at their school on August 12-13. Concerned about their daughter, one family took her to a private hospital for a medical examination. When the results confirmed injuries, they approached the school on August 16 with the report, but the school authorities dismissed their concerns.
When the family attempted to file a complaint with the police, their concerns were initially ignored. The family member revealed that it took 12 hours and the intervention of local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leaders before the FIR was finally registered. They also accused the police of altering their statement in the FIR. The suspect, Akshay Shinde, was arrested on August 17.
The Bombay High Court expressed deep concern over the sexual assault, calling the incident ‘absolutely shocking’ and emphasized that the safety of girls is paramount. Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan criticized the school for not reporting the incident despite being aware and condemned the police for delaying the FIR.
The court took suo motu cognizance of the case and directed the police to fully support the victims and their families, stressing that the victims should not be subjected to further trauma. The bench also highlighted the potential for many similar cases to go unnoticed without public outcry.