BJP appoints co-accused in Badlapur sexual abuse as Co-opted councillor

BADLAPUR: The Bhartiya Janta Party has appointed Tushar Apte as Co-opted councillor, who is co-accused in Badalapur sexual abuse case, who as secretary of school trust has failed to report the offence under provision of the POCSO Act in which two school children were sexually abuse by sweeper.

The appointment has reignited a major political and social controversy in Thane district, bringing back memories of the Badlapur sexual abuse case that had shaken Maharashtra. The decision was confirmed after the Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council completed the process of selecting five co-opted councillors on Friday. Of the five, two were nominated by the BJP, two by the Shiv Sena and one by the Nationalist Congress Party.

Apart from Tushar Apte, the other co-opted councillors include Shagof Gore from the BJP, Prabhakar Patil from the NCP, and Dilip Baikar and Hemant Chature from the Shiv Sena. Council chairperson Ruchita Ghorpade formally confirmed the appointments, following which the newly nominated councillors were felicitated.

Tushar Apte was the secretary of the educational institution where the alleged sexual abuse of two minor girls took place. A case was registered against the school management under Section 21(2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for failing to report the crime to the authorities. Apte was arrested 44 days after the incident and was granted bail within 48 hours. The case against him is currently sub judice.

The Badlapur incident had sparked massive protests across city by parents and citizens, who demanded accountability from the school management and stricter safeguards for children. The main accused in the case, Akshay Shinde, a school sweeper, was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly sexually abusing two minor girls inside a school toilet.

In a dramatic turn of events, Akshay Shinde was killed on September 23 in an alleged police encounter while being taken from Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai for questioning in a separate case filed by his wife. Police claimed he snatched a firearm from one of the officers and opened fire, leading to retaliatory firing.

Defending Apte’s appointment, BJP councillor Rajan Ghorpade stated that Apte is a social activist and office-bearer of a reputed educational institution. He argued that Apte’s guilt has not been proven in court and claimed that his contribution to party work and election efforts led to his nomination.