MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls at a school in Badlapur, located in Maharashtra’s Thane district. The case will be heard on Thursday by a division bench comprising Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan.
The incident, involving the sexual abuse of two kindergarten students in the school’s toilet, has led to widespread outrage. The alleged perpetrator, a 23-year-old male sweeper named Akshay Shinde, was arrested last week.
Following the incident, angry parents and citizens staged a protest outside the school on Tuesday, which escalated into violence with stone-pelting and vandalism. The Maharashtra Police responded by arresting over 40 people and registering an FIR against 300 individuals involved in the protest.
The abuse came to light when one of the young victims complained of pain in her private parts and revealed to her parents that the accused had touched her inappropriately when she used the toilet. When the parents of both girls communicated, they realized that their daughters had been sharing similar fears about attending school. A local doctor subsequently confirmed that the children had been sexually assaulted.
In response to the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured swift action, including the formation of a special investigation team to probe the case. He also called for a review of the Sakhi Savitree committees in the state, which are intended to safeguard the rights and safety of women and children.
Susieben Shah, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, condemned the school for its negligence, particularly for the lack of female attendants in the toilets. “ The incident that happened in Badlapur yesterday is very condemnable. Yesterday I visited the school and also enquired there and we felt that there were some shortcomings in all sections,” Shah stated.
The case has also sparked political controversy, with opposition parties accusing Chief Minister Shinde of exploiting the situation for political gain. Congress state president Nana Patole, along with the NCP(SP), has called for a Maharashtra Bandh on August 24 in response to the incident.
