Maharashtra: Two Minor Girls Raped In School, Opposition Demands Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis To Step Down

At a time when the rape and murder of a Kolkata-based post graduate medical student has sent shockwaves across the country, an incident involving sexual assault on two four year-old girls in a Badlapur-based school in Maharashtra provoked angry protestors to block Mumbai’s suburban railway services on Monday (August 20).

While thousands of protestors stalled railway services on the line which also links Mumbai and Pune, a mob forced their way into the school and vandalised the building where the incident is said to have occured.

Despite several appeals from the police, protestors refused to vacate the railway tracks since 10.00 am in the morning. Angry protestors were heard raising slogans demanding that the accused be hanged in public.

“We do not want that money which the state government is giving to women through the Ladki Bahin Yojana, we only want all women and our children to be safe. Maharashtra police officials here in Badlapur were reluctant to register a complaint when the victim's parents approached them. It took them 12 hours just to register an FIR. As parents of minor school going kids, our blood boils to see such callousness,” an angry protestor said to a regional news channel.

The incident in focus pertains to sexual abuse of the two minor victims by a now arrested contractual cleaner named Akshay Shinde (23). As per reports, the accused who was in-charge of cleaning the female toilet, sexually abused the two girls on August 12 and 13. The parents of the abused minors became aware of the incident after the latter complained of pain and expressed reluctance to go to the school.

Subsequently, the parents are said to have reported the incident in the Badlapur Police Station. However, to their agony, the police officials reportedly did not cooperate and delayed filing the complaint.

After the protests went out of control on Monday, the state government constituted a special investigation team and ordered Badlapur Senior Police Inspector Shubhada Shitole’s transfer.

The school's role too has has invited close scrutiny since closed circuit television cameras installed in the school were reportedly non-functional. After protests, the school authorities informed that it has terminated the services of the school principal and that of the class teacher where the minors studied.

“The state government has taken a serious note of the incident. On the lines of the Vishakha Committee Guidelines, we had mandated all schools and colleges in the state to form Sakhi Savitri Samitis whose job is to take immediate cognizance of molestation and sexual abuse. It has been found that the school did not comply with this, so we will be taking action against them.

"Also, the public prosecutor will be asked to argue for the highest level of punishment possible for the accused,” State School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said.

The National Commission For Women too has taken note of the incident. As per report, the body will be sending an investigation team to probe into the lapses in ensuring children’s safety and police official’s failure in ensuring speedy redressal of the grievances raised by the victim’s parents.

The incident also invited widespread condemnation of the Maharashtra government’s failure in maintaining law and order in the state.

“This is a very shocking incident. Maharashtra is the state where we consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar as our ideals for ensuring a just and impartial administration. However, the ruling Mahayuti government has failed in maintaining law and order.

“Maharashtra Police’s functioning too has become questionable. It pains to hear that the victim’s parents had to run from pillar to post just to register a complaint. The buck ultimately stops with those who hold charge of the department. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis holds the Home Department. He has consistently failed in arresting the rising crime rate in the state, he should resign,” Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and Member of Parliament Supriya Sule said.

“This is the state government which is trying to woo women voters considering the upcoming elections by giving them monthly handouts but they cannot ensure their safety.

"I do not want to politicise the matter but I have heard that the school trustees of the institution where the incident took place are closely related to the Bharatiya Janata Party. There was an attempt from these trustees to hush up the matter. So I feel that when the ruling coalition leaders train their guns over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the Kolkata rape and murder incident, they should also introspect on how their own functionaries behave,” Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the opposition party Shiv Sena (UBT) said.