Badlapur sexual abuse case: Father of deceased accused approaches HC seeking probe into ‘fake encounter’

The plea of the deceased accused’s father was mentioned before a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj K Chavan. The lawyer, representing the father, informed the bench that the accused was killed in an alleged “encounter” with the police Monday and apprehended that evidence in the case will be destroyed, therefore sought urgent relief. The father alleged that his son was “murdered under the garb of a shootout.” The bench posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday.

A dedicated team was formed by Ashutosh Dumbre, Commissioner of Police, Thane, which will be headed by Punjabrao Ugale, Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch to investigate Monday’s incident. Ugale is the Crime Branch chief in Thane.

A senior police officer said the CID would look into aspects such as how a person in police custody could snatch a firearm from an officer when his hands were supposed to be handcuffed; how a prisoner, with an average body, could not be overpowered by personnel, and how a janitor knew how to unlock a pistol and fire.

The CID will record statements of all four members of the team that escorted the accused from Taloja Central Jail to the Thane police headquarters.