Massive outrage erupted in the state of Maharashtra on Tuesday, 20th August, after the incident of rape of two toddler girls came to the fore from Badlapur region of Thane district. As per the initial reports, two minor girls, aged 4, studying in Nursery, were sexually assaulted by a school sweeper in the washroom of a well-known school named Adarsh Vidya Mandir in Badlapur near Mumbai.
The accused has been identified as Akshay Shinde who has been arrested by the police. Shinde is believed to have been employed in the school based on a contract by a third-party organization. He was booked and arrested by the police only after the parents of the girls insisted on filing a formal complaint. This is despite initial attempts by the police to play down the issue by delaying the filing of the FIR for over 12 hours.
The parents and the enraged citizens launched massive protests outside the school and also halted the local train between Kalyan and Karajat on Tuesday, 20th August. They called for a shutdown of Badlapur city and stopped local trains, further demanding capital punishment for the accused person.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has decided to dispatch a team to Badlapur in order to conduct an investigation after learning about the occurrence.
महाराष्ट्र के ठाणे जिले के बदलापुर में स्कूल में चार साल की बच्ची के साथ दुष्कर्म का बेहद दुखद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ है, प्रकरण में स्थानीय पुलिस द्वारा पीड़ित के अभिभावकों को FIR दर्ज करने हेतु 12 घंटों तक इंतजार करने का मामला भी सामने आया है। @NCPCR_ ने घटना का संज्ञान लेते हुए…
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) August 20, 2024
Management suspends school principal, two attendants
In the meantime, the school released a statement expressing public regret for the tragedy and admitting to grave mistakes in student safety. To avoid similar occurrences in the future, the administration committed to putting in place strict safety protocols and more CCTV cameras across the campus. The school has promised to cooperate fully with the police as well.
In the meantime, the management also suspended the school Principal and two attendants who were responsible for taking the students to the washroom. The school has also terminated the contract with the third-party organization via which Shinde was employed at the school as a sweeper. The organization has further been blacklisted.
Schools in the area remained closed on Tuesday, 20th August, in solidarity with the protesting parents.
What happened to the girls inside the washroom
The incident is said to have happened on 12 and 13th August on the school premises when the girls had gone to use the toilet. However, it came to the fore on Monday, 19th August, only after the girls refused to go to the school as were scared after what had happened to them. When asked by parents, the girls revealed that they had been sexually assaulted at the school.
The police have arrested the accused and the court has sent him to three days of police remand. Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar commented on the issue and said, “We will see to it that the existing safety measures are further strengthened. We are issuing a circular today that CCTVs must be operational in each school. We will appoint a committee based on the Vishakha committee in schools as well. We will fast-track this case and give the strictest punishment to the accused. The school Principal, the class teacher, and 2 assistants have been suspended. The school also has been served a notice. A woman senior PI who delayed registering a case should be suspended.”
#WATCH | On the incident of alleged sexual assault with a girl child at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar says, "We will see to it that the existing safety measures are further strengthened. We are issuing a circular today that CCTVs must be… pic.twitter.com/iZDzS7ET32
— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024
Police accused of delayed probe, CCTVs not working
It is important to note that during the police probe, the school administration stated that the CCTVs weren’t working at the time when the incident happened. Senior police inspector Shubhada Shitole is reportedly accused of delaying the case despite it being a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) case. Following this, the inspector was immediately transferred.
Shops and other businesses in the Badlapur area remained closed on Tuesday in observance of the protest. Additionally, the school that was the site of the alleged sexual assault was forced to close. Prominent local politicians joined the protest with their supporters.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
