Hours after the Thane police crime branch shot down Badlapur sexual assault accused Akshay Shinde on Monday evening, political tensions flared in Maharashtra. The opposition parties launched scathing attacks on the Eknath Shinde-led government, questioning the circumstances of the encounter.
The police claimed Shinde, the prime accused in the alleged assault of two minor girls, snatched a police officer’s weapon and opened fire, injuring an officer before being shot dead in cross-firing. However, the opposition dismissed this narrative, alleging the government’s incompetence and demanding a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar expressed concern over the government’s perceived weakness in upholding law and order, stating that the laxity shown by the Home Department in handling the accused was questionable. Pawar believes the government needs to demonstrate its strength to prevent future reprehensible acts.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi went a step further, claiming the entire altercation was staged by the state government. She pointed out that the co-accused, who were also school board members and BJP office bearers, were on the run, further strengthening her suspicion of a cover-up.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan asserted that the accused was murdered in cold blood, questioning the police’s credibility and demanding an inquiry by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He expressed doubts about the Maharashtra Police’s ability to conduct a fair investigation under the current government.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole echoed the sentiment of a cover-up, demanding an investigation into why the government was trying to protect the main culprits. The Congress party emphasized that no accused should be spared to prevent such incidents from recurring.
NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule expressed shock at the Mahayuti Government’s handling of the case, highlighting the delay in filing the FIR and the killing of the prime accused in custody as a breakdown of law enforcement and the justice system.
Maharashtra LoP and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar accused the police of mishandling the Badlapur incident and attempting to protect individuals associated with the BJP and RSS by killing the main accused. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey called for an SIT investigation into the matter, citing the numerous doubts surrounding the incident. He urged the government and the police to clarify the events to the public.
The heated debate over the encounter killing highlights the deep political divide in Maharashtra and raises serious questions about the government’s handling of the Badlapur sexual assault case. The demand for a judicial inquiry underscores the public’s desire for transparency and accountability in this sensitive matter.
