Mob vandalises residence of accused sweeper in Badlapur school sexual abuse case

Thane: The residence of the sweeper arrested on charges of sexually abusing two four-year-old girls at a school in Badlapur was vandalised on Wednesday.A special Pocso court remanded him in police custody till Monday. The police said they wanted to investigate if he was involved in similar crimes.The accused was brought to the Kalyan sessions court premises amid heavy police deployment. Lawyers at the court refused to fight his case and put up a board demanding that lawyers from other cities should not take up the case either.Inspector general of police Aarti Singh, head of the special investigation team (SIT) formed by the state govt to investigate the matter, visited the spot where the offence occurred and met officials involved in the investigation in Badlapur. She also met the families of the victims. Sources said the maternal uncle of the accused used to work as a sweeper in the school and suggested his name after he suffered a heart attack. His uncle is a labour supplier, and the school had made a contract with him while appointing him as a sweeper. DGP Rashmi Shukla affirmed the commitment of the police to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, saying the force would go the extra mile for it.In a statement posted on the official X handle @DGPMaharashtra, DGP Shukla stated that the investigation into the Badlapur case was being conducted with the utmost diligence."We will leave no stone unturned in delivering justice to innocent children and their families," Shukla said.The DGP mentioned the measures including the forming of the SIT headed by Singh.Leader of the opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve and members of Shiv Sena (UBT) women's wing met Shukla at the state police headquarters and submitted a memorandum demanding stringent action against the accused.