Badlapur encounter: HC directs FIR against five cops, orders SIT probe

The Bombay High Court on Monday ordered the Maharashtra government to register an FIR against five policemen who were held responsible for the custodial death of Akshay Shinde the accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault caseA division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale directed the joint commissioner of polices crime branch to set up a special investigation team to probe the caseThe bench rapped the government for its reluctance to lodge an FIR in the case and said such action undermines the states legitimacy and also the common mans faith in the criminal justice systemAfter perusal of the magistrates report we are satisfied that the custodial death of Shinde requires thorough investigation as he had succumbed to bullet injuries fired by the police the court saidJustice must not only be done but seems to be done We hope and trust that the SIT shall unearth the conspiracy the bench saidPolice authorities are duty bound to adhere to the provisions of law and ensure that investigation is done and taken to its logical end when it prima facie discloses an offence the HC saidThe court directed the joint commissioner of polices crime department to form a special investigation team under the supervision of a deputy commissioner of police and register FIRThe court also refused to grant a stay on its order as sought by the governments counsel Amit DesaiShinde accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district was allegedly shot dead in a police shoot on September 23 2024 when he was being taken to Kalyan from the Taloja prisonAn inquiry report by the magistrate had indicted the five policemen and held them responsible for the custodial deathThe report stated there was substance in the claims made by Shindes parents that it was a fake encounterThe police officials are Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Shinde belonging to the Thane crime branch Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More head constablesAbhijeet More and Harish Tawade and a police driver Satish KhatalThe Maharashtra government had said that the state CID was already carrying out an independent investigation and that the government had also set up a commission under a retired Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to probe into the incidentSenior counsel Amit Desai appearing for the government had said once the CID probe was over a report would be submitted before the concerned courtThe escorting police team claimed that they had shot at the accused in selfdefence after he snatched the gun of one of them and opened fireThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params