Bombay HC takes suo motu cognizance of Badlapur sexual assault incident

MUMBAI: Amid violent protests in Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the alleged sexual assault of two girls at a school in Badlapur. The matter will be heard today, Thursday, by a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan.

The alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur has sparked outrage. On August 17, police arrested an attendant of the school for allegedly abusing the girls. This incident has created massive outrage among the people in Badlapur.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has recommended the establishment of special branches or ‘mini police stations’ for women and children in every police station across the state. This development came in the wake of an alleged delay in registering the crime by the police in Badlapur.

Chairperson Susieben Shah shared a detailed plan in this regard during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference, Shah said, “Currently, police stations have Women’s Help Desks, Special Juvenile Police Units, and Child Welfare Police Officers. However, these units are not dedicated solely to addressing complaints from women and children, often leading to the unavailability of trained personnel when needed. Officers in these units are frequently assigned to other duties, causing delays in registering and investigating complaints”.

She said that the Crime Branch units in police stations are exclusively reserved for investigating crimes, ensuring that officers are not diverted to other duties and that their sole responsibility is to investigate and solve crimes efficiently. “Considering that women and children constitute 70 per cent of the country’s population, we cannot exclude such a significant demographic from the process of justice and security. It is crucial to establish a dedicated unit similar to the Crime Branch in every police station for registering and investigating crimes against women and children”, Susieben Shah said.

#WATCH | Alleged sexual assault with a girl child at a school in Badlapur | A few people were seen pelting stones at the Police at Badlapur Railway Station after the personnel resorted to lathi-charge to disperse protestors gathered here in protest over the incident.

Visuals… pic.twitter.com/jVUcCr6wQ8

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2024

On Tuesday, police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters gathered at the Badlapur railway station after the demonstrators blocked the railway track. As protesters blocked the track, 12 mail express trains were diverted and 30 local trains were partially cancelled.

However, the railway service resumed late at night after the police dispersed the protesters. Maharashtra Police have made some arrests and registered FIR following the massive protest over the sexual assault that led to stone-pelting, disruption of train services and lathi charge. Officials said the situation is normal now. (ANI)