Badlapur sexual assault case probe complete; police officer suspended: SIT tells Bombay HC

Bombay High Court. File Pic

The Badlapur sexual assault case investigation is over and a senior police officer has been suspended for dereliction of duty, the Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Tuesday.

Two charge sheets have been filed against the slain accused in the case and trustees of the school, the HC was told.

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Two police constables were given a strict warning for not taking the case seriously.

Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, appearing for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which investigated the case, told a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan that the probe was complete and the SIT disbanded.

Two girls, aged four and five, were allegedly sexually assaulted in the toilet of their school in Badlapur in Thane district by an attendant in August, leading to a huge outrage and staging of protests.

The arrested accused was killed in an alleged retaliatory firing by police when he was being shifted in a police vehicle in September.

A departmental inquiry was initiated against Badlpur police station officials for delay in registering an FIR and investigation.

"A lady officer, who was the senior police inspector of Badlpur police station, has been suspended after the departmental inquiry. Her two year increment has also been stopped," Venegaonkar told the court.

He added that two charge sheets have been filed against the slain accused and the trustees of the school.

"The probe in the case is over and the SIT is disbanded," Venegaonkar said.

The HC had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance and ordered the formation of a committee of experts to examine the safety of children in schools and other educational institutions.

Venegaonkar told the bench on Tuesday that the committee would submit its report in January 2025.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on December 19 on the issue of granting police protection to the parents of the slain accused who had apprehended an attack by certain persons.

Venegaonkar told the court that the parents had declined police protection but expressed apprehension about targeting their house.

"A police constable has been deployed outside their house," he said.

Advocate Amit Katarnaware, appearing for the parents of the slain accused, however, said they didn't decline police protection.

The bench said the parents should appear before it on Thursday.

The HC, earlier this month, came down heavily on the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) for taking 'lightly' the probe into the killing of the Badlapur school sexual assault case accused in a shootout.

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