Badlapur Sexual Abuse Case Highlights: ‘Maharashtra govt standing with culprits,’ says Uddhav as MVA leaders protest after HC says no to Maharashtra bandh

PM Narendra Modi is set to visit Jalgaon, Maharashtra tomorrow to attend the Lakhpati Didi meeting. "I am looking forward to going to Jalgaon in Maharashtra, tomorrow, 25th August, to attend the Lakhpati Didi meeting. Certificates will be awarded to 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis in this program. This scheme is playing an important role in promoting women empowerment. A fund of Rs 2500 crore will be released to provide benefits to lakhs of women working with self-help groups," wrote PM Modi in a post on the social media site X today.

A seven-year-old girl student was allegedly sexually assaulted by a teen working in the canteen at a private school in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Saturday.

Based on a complaint, the police on Friday detained the 16-year-old accused, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, and sent him to a remand home, senior inspector Ramesh Bhame of Naigaon police station said.

The alleged incident occurred at a private school in Naigaon, he said.

The matter came to light when the girl, a Class 2 student, refused to go to the school canteen on Thursday and informed her class teacher that an "uncle" working there troubled her, the official said.

The school headmaster was informed, and further inquiries with the girl revealed that the accused allegedly sexually assaulted her on three to four occasions over the last 15 days, he said. (PTI)

Workers of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) took part in a protest in Nashik under the Maha Vikas Aghadi's statewide stir against the sexual assault on two schoolgirls in Badlapur in Thane district.

The MVA had called for a 'bandh' on Saturday but it had to be withdrawn after the Bombay High Court on Friday restrained all parties and individuals from proceeding with it.

Workers of the Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), wearing black arm bands and with masks covering their mouths, gathered near the Dr Ambedkar statue on Shivaji Road and raised slogans against the Eknath Shinde government.

"These incidents are rising in the state. They have taken place in Latur, Kolhapur and Nashik as well. There was delay in registering FIR in the Badlapur case. The state government must not try to suppress the case. The school management must also be hauled up," Dhule Lok Sabha MP Shobha Bachhav said.

The culprits should be given capital punishment, said NCP (SP) leader Kondaji Awhad. (PTI)

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar claimed on Saturday that crimes against women and children in the state are rising and perpetrators have no fear of the law.

He alleged that those occupying the chairs of the chief minister and deputy CMs do not deserve the posts.

The Congress leader was speaking to reporters about the recent sexual crimes against women and children, including the Badlapur incident that has caused a massive outrage.

Wadettiwar claimed there is no “law and order in the state”. Such incidents have brought shame to Maharashtra, he said.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has time to address Ladki Bahin Yojana programmes (a women-centric initiative) but he has no time to meet the families of the victims, the leader of the opposition said.

“Most such crimes are happening in Thane, and the perpetrators are Shiv Sena supporters. They seem to have no fear, as their leader holds the top post,” he said.

CM Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, is a powerful leader from the Thane region. (PTI)

Mumbai and many other parts of Maharashtra are expected to receive heavy rainfall over the next four to five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said.

The Met office issued an orange alert forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts of Konkan from August 24 onwards.

It also issued orange alert for Pune and Satara districts of western Maharashtra and Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gondia districts of Vidarbha for Saturday.

An orange alert warns of heavy rainfall exceeding 64.5 mm in 24 hours, potentially disrupting normal life and causing flooding in low-lying areas.

Yellow alert predicting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and light-to-moderate rainfall with gusty winds of 30-40 kmph speed was issued for Saturday in several districts barring a few in western Maharashtra and Marathwada. (PTI)

Tragedy struck north Maharashtra's Jalgaon district on Friday as at least 27 pilgrims from the region died after the tourist bus they were traveling in veered off the highway and fell into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi river in central Nepal.

The Maharashtra government has written to the Centre, requesting that a special flight of the Indian Air Force be arranged to bring back the injured persons as well as the mortal remains of the deceased, officials said here.

The victims were from Varangaon, Daryapur, Talvel and Bhusaval in Jalgaon district, 470 km from Mumbai, said an official release here.

In a letter to the Union government, Lahu Mali, director, Disaster Management, Maharashtra, said the bodies and injured persons would be taken to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on August 24 evening, but as it is not possible to transport them back to Maharashtra by a commercial airliner, an IAF plane be arranged.

The state government will bear the expenses of the flight from Gorakhpur to Nashik, the letter said.

Sixteen people who sustained injuries have been airlifted to Kathmandu and admitted at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, he said.

The passengers were part of a group of 104 Indian pilgrims who arrived in Nepal from Maharashtra in three buses two days ago for a 10-day tour of the Himalayan nation, MyRepublica news portal reported. (PTI)

We don't agree with Bombay High Court order on Maharashtra bandh, said Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray today after opposition leaders called off August 24 Maharashtra bandh and will protest with black bands around their mouth.

Opposition leaders and workers will hold peaceful demonstrations and tie black bands around their mouth on Saturday as a mark of protest against the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra over a sexual abuse incident in a school, the Congress said on Friday after a Bombay High Court ruling on bandh in the state.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday said Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders and workers will protest against the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government with black flags and black band tied around their mouth at different locations in the state.

Earlier in the day, the HC restrained political parties and individuals from proceeding with the Maharashtra bandh scheduled for August 24 or on any future date.

The opposition MVA, which consists of the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), had called for a state-wide shutdown on Saturday to protest against the alleged sexual assault on two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district. (PTI)

Following the sexual abuse of two minor girls by a sanitation worker in a school in Ambarnath, Deepak Kesarkar state minister of education on Friday announced that BMC's officer incharge for education have been suspended for non installation of CCTV cameras in the civic run schools. Kesarkar made this announcement in a press conference at the civic headquarters on Friday evening.

Will respect court's order, protest peacefully with black band on mouth said Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole today, as reported by PTI. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier today said that he will implement HC order restraining anyone from calling for Maharashtra bandh.

The Bombay High Court on Friday said that it will restrain any political party or individuals from proceeding on call of Maharashtra Bandh on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district. The court was hearing pleas challenging call of shut-down across the state by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and opposition parties. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said the Maharashtra government shall take all necessary steps to prevent a bandh. Advocates Subhash Jha and Gunaratna Sadavarte pointed out a judgment of the Kerala High Court which held that no political party can call for a state-wide bandh, and an HC has ample powers to intervene in such matters.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar appealed for withdrawal of August 24 Maharashtra bandh call today in view of High Court order. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier today said that he will implement HC order restraining anyone from calling for Maharashtra bandh.

The Bombay High Court on Friday said that it will restrain any political party or individuals from proceeding on call of Maharashtra Bandh on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district. The court was hearing pleas challenging call of shut-down across the state by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and opposition parties. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said the Maharashtra government shall take all necessary steps to prevent a bandh. Advocates Subhash Jha and Gunaratna Sadavarte pointed out a judgment of the Kerala High Court which held that no political party can call for a state-wide bandh, and an HC has ample powers to intervene in such matters.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today said that he will implement HC order restraining anyone from calling for Maharashtra bandh after the Bombay High Court on Friday restrained any political party or individuals from proceeding on call of Maharashtra Bandh on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault on the two girls in Badlapur, Thane district.

The court was hearing pleas challenging call of shut-down across the state by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and opposition parties. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said the Maharashtra government shall take all necessary steps to prevent a bandh. Advocates Subhash Jha and Gunaratna Sadavarte pointed out a judgment of the Kerala High Court which held that no political party can call for a state-wide bandh, and an HC has ample powers to intervene in such matters.

With PTI inputs

The Bombay High Court said that it will restrain any political party or individuals from proceeding on call of Bandh on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault on the two girls in Badlapur, Thane district. The court was hearing pleas challenging call of 'Maharashtra bandh' by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and opposition parties. A division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, after concluding the hearing said that the bench was retiring for the dictation of the judgement which will be pronounced after 4 30 pm.

"We are restraining any political party from proceeding on call of Bandh. A very solemn, humble request to everyone present in the court to not to indulge in any kind of press statement. My primary concern is court should not be dragged into it (political allegations). We are proceeding on the basis of past judgements in AIADMK and Bharatkumar cases," CJ Upadhyaya remarked.

There are some devotees from Jalgaon, Maharashtra among the 14 bodies retrieved from a river in Nepal’s Tanahun district on Friday after a passenger bus bearing Uttar Pradesh registration number plunged into the water body while on its way to Kathmandu.

Posting about the incident on the social media site X, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis wrote ,"An unfortunate incident has taken place in Nepal where some devotees from Maharashtra have died in an accident where a bus fell into a valley. I offer heartfelt tributes to the deceased. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. According to initial information, it is known that these devotees are from Jalgaon district. The state government has immediately contacted the Nepal Embassy, ​​and the Collector of Jalgaon is in constant contact with the Collector of Maharajganj ‍ in Uttar Pradesh on the Nepal border. We are in touch with the Uttar Pradesh government to bring the bodies of the deceased to Maharashtra in coordination with the Nepal government. The Maharashtra Disaster Management Unit has also been instructed to coordinate, and Minister Girish Mahajan and Anil Patil are also in constant contact."