Badlapur sexual assault case: Bombay high court criticizes SIT for failing to arrest school trustees

NEW DELHI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday sharply criticized the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for its failure to apprehend two school trustees accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case. The division bench, comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan, questioned the police's inability to arrest the trustees, pointing out that law enforcement usually goes to great lengths to capture suspects.

“How come they have not been able to apprehend these two? Are they waiting for them to get anticipatory bail?” the court asked, expressing frustration with the lack of progress.

The case, which the court took suo motu cognizance of in August, involves the sexual assault of two young girls—aged four and five—inside the washroom of a school in Badlapur, Thane district. The prime accused, Akshay Shinde, a male attendant, was arrested but killed in a police shootout on September 23.

The Maharashtra government, in response to the case, formed an SIT led by an Inspector General of Police to investigate the incident. However, two trustees of the school, including the chairman and secretary, were also named as accused for failing to report the incident promptly and negligence. Both have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Despite being named in the case, the trustees remain at large. Advocate General Birendra Saraf informed the court that the accused had filed for anticipatory bail but had yet to be apprehended. He assured the bench that the police were making efforts to locate them.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 23, demanding updates on the status of the investigation and the steps taken to apprehend the trustees.

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