Parents of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case of two minor girls, outside the Kalwa Hospital where his body was brought after the police encounter, in Thane.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Human rights and civil liberties group, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has condemned the "encounter" of Badlapur sexual assault-accused Akshay Shinde and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.
On 23 September, 24-year-old Akshay Shinde, who was arrested in a case of sexual assault of two minor girls in a school in Badlapur, died during a scuffle with a police escort team. Shinde, as per the police, snatched the pistol of an officer and injured him, as well as “opened fire” before he was shot dead in a “retaliatory fire”.
Akshay Shinde’s parents—Anna Shinde and Alka Shinde—and their lawyer Amit Katarnavare have described the incident as a “fake encounter”.
PUCL President Mihir Desai and General Secretary Lara Jesani have issued a statement demanding an SIT probe.
“An FIR be registered on the basis of the complaint of the deceased’s family in the extrajudicial killing of Akshay Shinde, accused in the Badlapur sexual assaults case. A Special Investigation Team be appointed by the court to investigate the case. The investigation be court monitored and timely reports of investigation be submitted to the court to ensure that the case is investigated fairly, thoroughly and without any external influence, keeping in mind that the police officers involved are from the Crime Branch,” the statement reads.
The PUCL demanded that the investigation must also inquire into the Badlapur sexual assault case to rule out any conspiracy to cover up the same, explore its connection to the extrajudicial killing in terms of allegations made by the family of the deceased, probe revelations post the encounter that raise suspicions on the circumstances under which the incident occurred. It has also raised questions concerning the police officers involved in the incident. “A fair and proper investigation is necessitated in the Badlapur sexual assaults case in order to ensure justice to the minor survivors,” they said.
“The case will be tried expeditiously to ensure justice. Protection be provided to the witnesses and safety of the family of the deceased Akshay Shinde be ensured,” they added.
"The state government must take serious efforts to ensure that extrajudicial killings do not occur in our State and that the rule of law is upheld and justice is ensured for all," they noted.