Badlapur Sexual Abuse Case Highlights: Rahul Gandhi slams delay in filing FIR, says more efforts made to hide crime than to deliver justice

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi lamented that the public had to protest to demand justice in the Badlapur girls' sexual abuse case.

"Will we now have to protest to even register an FIR? Why has it become so difficult for victims to even go to the police station? More efforts are made to hide crime than to provide justice, the biggest victims of which are women and people of weaker sections. Not filing an FIR not only discourages the victims, but also encourages the criminals," he wrote in a post on X.

He added that justice is the right of every citizen and cannot be made dependent on the will of the police and administration.

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the sexual abuse case, condemned the inordinate delay by the police in lodging an FIR in the case.

"This is a sensitive case. It is shameful why the police officers did not not take up the matter seriously. Why the senior police officials ignored the complaint will definitely be probed and those found guilty will be punished. The most important thing is that during such cases, if the police delay in taking cognisance, then crucial evidence is lost," he said.

Internet services at Badlapur in Maharashtra's Thane district were suspended, a day after a massive protest over alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls, and 72 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence during the stir, officials said. At least 17 city police personnel and around eight railway cops were injured in the incidents of stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur during the protest on Tuesday, they said.

Police have been deployed in large numbers across Badlapur to maintain law and order, and the situation in the town is back to normal. Most schools in the town remained shut on Wednesday, local people said. The injured police personnel are being treated at different local hospitals.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi has called for a 'Maharashtra Bandh' on August 24 to protest the Badlapur child sexual abuse incident.

"We had come here to discuss seat sharing formula between the alliance partners. But, we decided that we would not discuss seat sharing and instead discuss the law and order in the state after the Badlapur incident. The people of Maharashtra are agitated and FIRs have been registered against those who protested. We have decided that on August 24, MVA will call for Maharashtra Bandh over the Badlapur incident." Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut said.

Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh demanded the clearance and implementation of the Shakti bill with provisions for the death penalty for atrocities against children and women, referring to the Badlapur school incident.

Both the House of Maharashtra legislature had passed the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Special Court & Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020, three years ago when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power.

Addressing a press conference, Deshmukh said, “When I was the home minister, I had formed a 21-member committee of legislators from all parties to draft the Shakti bill on the lines of an act in Andhra Pradesh.

“The bill was approved by the cabinet headed by Uddhav Thackeray and passed in the state legislature. It is pending before the Central government for approval.” The NCP (SP) leader said the committee had drafted the Shakti bill after consultations with all stakeholders. He said a “Shakti Act” would be sufficient to ensure the death penalty for the culprit in the Badlapur case, he said.

As protesters stormed Badlapur station Tuesday, police said that the printed banners, WhatsApp group messages and other indicators suggest that it was a planned protest.

Police say that after the FIR was filed, political parties decided to carry out a protest and while they had initially planned to do it on Monday, they postponed it to Tuesday due to Rakshabandhan.

A senior police officer said that printed banners and other preparedness by the mob suggests that the protest was well-planned. Read more

The mother of one of the two four-year-old girls, who were sexually assaulted at a school in Thane’s Badlapur, was made to stay at the police station and hospital for over 10 hours, despite her being two-month pregnant, according to her relative.

She is currently under trauma, admitted to a hospital and running a fever of 102, a close relative of the victim girl told The Indian Express.

“First we carried out a medical examination at the Vatsalya hospital and after preliminary confirmation of sexual assault she had to again undergo a medical examination at the public hospital. The recording of statement at the police station followed by medical examination was stressful for both the child and her mother,” the relative said.

Alleging that the police did not show any sensitivity towards the victim and her family, despite the victim being a small kid, the relative said that they delayed even the filing of the FIR.

The Badlapur school, where two young girls were allegedly sexually abused, preferred to cover up the crime instead of helping their parents file a police complaint, said Susieben Shah, chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

“They (child protection unit) took them to the police to file the complaint. When I asked the school management about the case, they tried to cover it up. I even asked them why POCSO provisions should not be invoked against the school management,” said Shah.

She said if the school management had promptly alerted the police, the chaotic situation in Badlapur could have been avoided. “The issue arises from the parents being made to wait for 11 hours.” Despite being apprised of the alleged sexual attack, the principal “chose not to contact the police”. “Instead, she went to the school management,” Shah said, calling the episode a “terrible state of affairs”.

The police registered four First Information Reports (FIRs) against around 500 protesters and arrested more than 66 over the protests which erupted at Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district against the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls allegedly by a janitor at a school.

According to the Thane police and Government Railway Police (GRP), they will make more arrests after scanning CCTV cameras.

Sudhakar Pathare, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Badlapur said the arrested suspects have been charged with sections of rioting, damaging public property, and causing hurt to public servants, etc. 

A local court extended till August 26 the police custody of the man arrested for allegedly sexually abusing two girls at a school in Badlapur. The accused, who was employed as an attendant at the school where the incident took place last week, was produced before a magistrate at Kalyan in the district this morning amid tight police security.

The police had arrested the accused on August 17.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut slammed Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government over the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Maharashtra's Badlapur.

He said instead of giving protection to that girl, you file criminal cases against those who have come out on the streets to demand justice. "What else can happen in Maharashtra? If there is a public cry against rape, there are children who do not understand what a heinous crime has been committed against them and instead of giving protection to that girl, you file criminal cases against those who have come out on the streets to demand justice.The first thing is (to find out) why did this happen? In which institution did it happen? Whose institution is this...?," Raut told reporters.

"If this institution had been linked with Shiv Sena (UBT) or Congress, then Devendra Fadnavis along with Mahila Mahamandal would have gone there and staged a 24-hour protest," he further said, questioning, "Where is everyone, now?" "Police were not lodging the FIR. They were under pressure but under whose pressure?," he asked.

IG rank IPS officer Arti Singh has reached the Badlapur (East) police station along with the member of Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by her. The SIT will investigate the minors sexual assault case. 

Chief minister Eknath Shinde said that the protest in Badlapur on Tuesday was politically motivated.

"I believe that yesterday's protest was politically motivated. Generally whenever there is a protest, the locals are involved but in this case people came from outside in vehicles. When minister Girish Mahajan assured them of action and explained that all their demands have been fulfilled, but they were still not willing to move from the place. That means they wanted to defame the government," CM Shinde said.

Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar objects appointing Ujjwal Nikam being appointed as Special Public Prosecutor in Badlapur case. "The school belongs to a particular party (BJP) and Nikam also belongs to that party. How can he ensure justice in this case?" asked Wadettiwar.

Nikam contested 2024 Lok Sabha election as BJP candidate from Mumbai North Central constituency and lost.

NCP workers, led by Supriya Sule, are holding a protest against the sexual abuse incident in Pune.

Most schools in the area remained shut on Wednesday, officials said, as per PTI.

NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule reacted to the sexual abuse case in Badlapur and expressed concern saying, "Crime has increased in Maharashtra and this is not something I am saying but the government data mentions. Be it the Porsche case or drugs in the state. Crime against women has increased a lot in Maharashtra...The issue (Badlapur) incident is sensitive. The way it was ignored is saddening. When the people were on the roads, the government was awakened... After elections (Lok Sabha), the sisters immediately became 'Ladki' (dear) for the government and started giving Rs 1500 for the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bhin Yojana."

Thousands of people had gathered at Badlapur railway station and stopped local trains on Tuesday as they protested the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls by a sweeper at their school in Badlapur last week.

The protesters also demonstrated on the streets of Badlapur, obstructing major roads and highways, and throwing at the police and the school premises where the sexual assault occurred. They held banners rejecting the Ladki Bahin Yojana recently launched by the Maharashtra Government, and demanded safer conditions for women.

In the evening, the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd of protesters as many of them pelted stones in which over a dozen policemen, including senior officers, got injured.

Authorities have suspended internet services in Badlapur since Tuesday evening to ensure rumours are not spread on social media. They added internet services will remain suspended on Wednesday as well.

The police on Tuesday night registered four First Information Reports (FIRs) against around 500 protesters and arrested more than 66 over the protests which erupted at Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district against the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls allegedly by a janitor at a school.

According to the Thane police and Government Railway Police (GRP), they will make more arrests after scanning CCTV cameras.

Sudhakar Pathare, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Badlapur said the arrested suspects have been charged with sections of rioting, damaging public property, and causing hurt to public servants, etc. “We appeal to people to not believe in any rumours, and contact police officers if they come across any sensitive information,” said Pathare.

Protests broke out at Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Tuesday over the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old school children by a cleaning staff member and the “delay” in police action, bringing Mumbai local train services on the Central Line to a complete halt for 10 hours.

As per the complaint, the accused “sexually abused” the girls in the toilet of the school. The school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant over the incident. The accused was arrested on August 17.

In backdrop of widespread protests over the alleged sexual assault of two minors in a school at Thane’s Badlapur, police was deployed at Badlapur Railway Station on Wednesday. Yesterday, local train services on the Ambernath-Karjat section resumed on Tuesday night, after protesters staged a 10-hour ‘rail roko’ to protest the assault. As a result, several suburban local trains, as well as express and mail services, were cancelled.

The protests in Badlapur had also turned violent as agitators vandalised the school, where the alleged incident occurred last week, and also pelted stones at the railway station.

The local train services on the Ambernath-Karjat section resumed after 10 hours said the officials. The train services were affected by the protest at Badlapur station.

Ujwal Nikkam has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the Badlapur minor sexual abuse case.

Amid unrelenting protests and stone-pelting at Badlapur station, protesters demanded that the culprits be punished publicly.

Later, police dispersed the crowd, but train services are due to resume pending safety clearance.

State education minister Deepak Kesarkar said that the CCTVs installed in the school were not functioning. "As per the report, the incident took place between August 13-16 and the parents filed the complaint on August 18. The cognisance of the complaint was not taken for 12 hours and hence, police inspector of the concerned police station has been transferred," he added.

The Sakhi Savitri Committee is a three-tiered committee established by the Maharashtra education department to ensure the safety and security of students in schools. The committee is made up of representatives from the school, district, and state levels, and includes teachers, parents, students, school management, health workers, anganwadi sevikas, counselors, and stakeholders

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule called for a high-level investigation into the matter. She also criticised the police for not registering the FIR “for over 18 hours” after the incident. She said the Government should resign if it was unable to provide security and justice to the daughters of the state.

“The Government is busy organising events to give financial aid to women, but in reality, women are not safe in Maharashtra. First, it was Navi Mumbai, then Badlapur. The home department is sitting quietly. The Government thinks that just because it gave money to women, its responsibility is over. We demand strong action and a safer environment for women,” said NCP-SP state president Jayant Patil.

A day after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai banned Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), a student organisation active on campus, five other student collectives from the institute issued a joint statement in solidarity with PSF on Tuesday. The statement accused the TISS administration of “villainising a student body” and “an anti-student attitude.”

The statement, titled ‘The death of students’ assertion on campus’, was issued jointly by Adivasi Students’ Forum (ASF), Ambedkarite Students’ Association (ASA), Fraternity Movement, Muslim Students’ Forum (MSF), and Northeast Students’ Forum (NESF).

Read more here

At a time when caste politics is threatening to polarise voters in Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti alliance believes it has a card up its sleeve that will give it an electoral edge in the upcoming Assembly elections – the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.

Women voters, the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) feel, will help the alliance paper over the issues rising due to the shifting caste equations in the state. And with the Assembly elections unlikely to be held before November, the alliance is using the time to aggressively woo its women voters with its latest populist scheme.

Read more here

The rail roko protest at Badlapur station over the alleged sexual abuse of two girl students of a kindergarten led to the diversion of 12 long-distance trains via alternate routes, while authorities arranged buses for stranded commuters.

As many as 30 suburban trains were partially cancelled, and the Railways approached the state and civic transport bodies to ply extra buses. At least 12 mail-express trains, including Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express, were diverted via Diva-Panvel-Karjat stations till 5 pm, said Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer (CRPO) of Central Railway.

The Railways has approached the state and municipal transport bodies to run 100 extra buses for commuters between Kalyan and Karjat, and they have received 55 buses, Nila said.

A BJP MLA from the Murbad assembly constituency in Thane district, Kisan Kathore, alleged the protest at Badlapur railway station is politically motivated. He claimed agitators have come from neighbouring areas and not from Badlapur.

"These demonstrators are not from Badlapur city; they have arrived from neighbouring areas such as Ulhasnagar. A comprehensive investigation is conducted against the school principal and staff members who allegedly attempted to suppress the incident," Kathore said.

He alleged some individuals associated with political parties had put up banners in Badlapur rejecting the funds offered under the "Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana", but are now seeking justice. "The protesters at Badlapur station are not locals. They are residents of neighbouring areas," he added.

State cabinet minister Girish Mahajan tried to pacify the protesters in the afternoon who responded with slogans like "justice" for the victim girls and capital punishment for the arrested accused. Mahajan's appeal to vacate the train tracks was met with the chanting of "hang, hang" by demonstrators.

Mahajan, a close aide of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, said police officials who allegedly failed to address the complaints of the parents of the victim girls have been suspended. "The state government has expressed deep concern regarding the (sexual abuse) incident. The accused person will face the most severe punishment," Mahajan said.

He said common citizens are suffering because of the rail roko protest, leading to the suspension of local trains. "The track is occupied for more than six hours. The state government has taken all the decisions, demanded by the protestors," Mahajan added. Protesters, however, refused to budge.

The Maharashtra government ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur amid massive protests.

"The orders of immediate suspension of the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head constable attached to Badlapur police station for the dereliction of duty have been issued," Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis posted on X.

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that the parents of a girl who was sexually abused at a school in Badlapur were made to sit at the police station for 11 hours to file their complaint.

In a video message posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Congress leader said the incident -- where two kindergarten girls were allegedly abused inside the school -- was "bigger" than the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a hospital in Kolkata which has produced national outrage.

"Atrocities are committed on a three-and-half years old girl, a four-year-old girl, and at the police station, they (parents) are made to wait for 11 hours when they seek to file a complaint....Is there any sensitivity left? I spoke to the police commissioner and told him that the woman police officer responsible for this delay must be suspended immediately," Wadettiwar said.

The rail roko protest at Badlapur station over the alleged sexual abuse of two girl students of a kindergarten led to the diversion of 10 long-distance trains via alternate routes, the Central Railway said.

As protesters, including several women, came on railway tracks and blocked traffic, local train services between Ambernath and Karjat stations were suspended from 10:10 am.

At least 10 mail-express trains, including Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express, were diverted via Karjat-Panvel-Thane stations, said Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer (CRPO) of Central Railway. He said local trains between CSMT and Ambarnath stations are running normally; services between Badlapur and Karjat remain suspended.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) will dispatch a team to Thane in Maharashtra following the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl in a school in the district. The apex child rights body has also questioned the delay in the registration of an FIR in the matter.

NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo took to social media to express his distress over the incident and announced that a team would be dispatched to investigate the matter. He questioned why police made the victim's parents wait for 12 hours to get an FIR lodged. "I will personally monitor the investigation, and ensure that all negligent police officers are punished," Kanoongo said in a post on X.

The protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur turned violent as the angry agitators vandalised the school and also indulged in stone-pelting at the local railway station during the 'rail blockade'.

Angry parents of the school children and local citizens, including many women, gathered outside the school and also held a 'rail roko' protest at the Badlapur railway station, blocking the path of suburban trains from around 8.30 am. They demanded action against the school and strict punishment against the accused involved in the incident.

Some of the protesters, including women, later broke the gate of the school and vandalised it by breaking the window panes, benches and doors, police said.

The Maharashtra government ordered the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged sexual abuse of two girl students of a school in Badlapur in Thane district which triggered a massive protest, leading to halting of local train services.

The SIT will be headed by Inspector General of Police-rank officer Aarti Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the Home Department, stated on X. Fadnavis stated he has directed the Thane Police Commissioner to prepare a proposal to try the case in a fast-track court.

School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said a police official has been transferred because no cognisance was taken for 12 hours after the parents lodged the complaint with the police.

He said he has ordered setting up of Vishaka committees in the schools.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he has directed the police that the accused arrested for sexually abusing two girl students at a school in Badlapur in Thane district be booked under the attempt to rape charge. He also said that the case will be fast-tracked and a special public prosecutor will be appointed for the case.

"I have spoken to the Thane Commissioner of Police. The accused has been arrested. I have asked the case to be fast-tracked and book the accused under the charges of attempt to rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," he said.

A 42-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly molesting a differently-abled girl on the premises of a civic hospital in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said. The incident occurred at the civic hospital in Kalwa on Monday morning.

The accused allegedly brought the 11-year-old girl to the hospital around 11 am and molested her. A relative of one of the patients caught the man in the act and raised an alarm, he said.

The accused, a resident of the Vitawa area in Thane, has been arrested under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said.

On August 17, the police arrested a school attendant at the school for allegedly abusing two girls studying in the kindergarten, aged three and four years. As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school.

The girls had told their parents that the attendant touched them inappropriately, following which a complaint was filed and a case was registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was later arrested, the police said.

Hundreds of irate parents and local citizens came onto the tracks at the Badlapur railway station around 8 am and blocked the path of trains to draw the administration's attention to their demand. The protest has affected the movement of trains on Up and Down routes since around 8 am.

This morning, a large group of the parents of the children studying in the school gathered outside the institution to demand strict action against those guilty. After some time, carrying banners and placards, protesters, including a large number of women, came on to the tracks and blocked trains. They shouted slogans to demand action against the guilty.

The police and other authorities are finding it tough to control the situation. Efforts were on to pacify the protesters.

A call for Badlapur bandh has been given by several organisations to protest against the incident. Local MLA Kisan Kathore took up the issue with the authorities, and demanded strong action against the accused and the police personnel who failed to take timely action.

The management of a school at Badlapur in Maharashtra's Thane district has suspended its principal and two staffers in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of two girls, while angry parents of the school children have been staging a blockade at the local railway station seeking stringent action against the accused.

In the wake of the incident, the management of the school said on Monday late evening that it has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant, holding them responsible for it. The school management also tendered an apology over the episode. It said it has blacklisted the firm which has been given the contract for housekeeping. Vigilance on the school premises will be increased in the wake of the incident, the school authorities said.

The Badlapur police also transferred the police station in-charge for allegedly failing to act when the parents approached the police, an official said.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is keen to join hands with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra with an aim to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is currently ruling the state along with two other parties, former MP Imtiaz Jaleel has said.

Jaleel, who is the AIMIM's state unit president, was talking to Marathi news channel ABP Majha after a meeting of the party in Mumbai. Replying to a query, he said, "We had said this during the Lok Sabha elections and we are giving an offer to the MVA again to join hands as we want to defeat the BJP. But it is up to them whether to include us in the alliance or not." "If they (MVA parties) take us along, it will be beneficial for them. If not, we are ready to move ahead alone...If they think we have some power and have a vote bank, then they will ask us, otherwise they will not," Jaleel added.