Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut, today, Tuesday, September 24, has accused the Eknath Shinde government of staging the encounter of Akshay Shinde, an accused in the sexual assault of two minor girls, to shield the pro-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) Badlapur school management. This was stated in a report by PTI.
Responding to these allegations, the ruling Shiv Sena strongly criticised the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction for questioning the bravery and integrity of the police.
Raut claimed the encounter was suspicious but added that there should be no sympathy for Shinde, who was accused of the heinous assault. "This encounter was carried out to protect the main accused — the school management," Raut alleged while speaking to reporters.
Furthermore, he raised doubts about the circumstances of Shinde’s death, questioning how a janitor could overpower a police officer, snatch his weapon, and discharge a locked gun. "How convincing is it that a janitor snatches a gun from a policeman and fires a locked weapon? This is a basic question," Raut asked.
In addition to this, Akshay Shinde, the accused was killed in retaliatory firing by police after allegedly seizing a policeman’s pistol while being transported to Badlapur from Taloja Jail. The incident reportedly left an assistant inspector injured, and the police defended their actions as self-defence.
Raut further suggested that Shinde was eliminated to destroy critical evidence, implicating Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in shielding the school’s management. He also claimed that CCTV footage from the school, where the assault occurred, has mysteriously vanished.
"The school is related to BJP and yesterday's story (Akshay Shinde's killing) was done to save them," Raut claimed.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray echoed these accusations, questioning the absence of action against the trustees of the Badlapur school, alleging they are affiliated with the BJP and being protected by the government. "It is understood that the trustees of the school are affiliated to the BJP who are being protected," Thackeray claimed.
Shiv Sena spokesperson and Thane MP Naresh Mhaske condemned the opposition’s stance, accusing them of undermining the bravery of police officers. He labelled the opposition’s actions as "a two-headed snake mentality", accusing them of politicising the situation for personal gain.
Mhaske also alleged that the protests following the assault had been orchestrated, claiming that busloads of protesters were brought into Badlapur to stir unrest. He further criticised the opposition for their double standards, recalling their past praise of the Telangana police’s encounter while now doubting the Maharashtra police’s integrity.
Mhaske and other Shiv Sena leaders visited Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More, who was injured in the confrontation, expressing dismay at the opposition’s focus on the accused’s death rather than the police's well-being.
“The opposition’s focus on the accused rather than supporting our law enforcement is disheartening and could demoralise our police,” Mhaske concluded.
This incident continues to stoke political tensions, with accusations of conspiracy and cover-ups flying amid the already charged atmosphere following the sexual assault case in Badlapur.
