The Bombay High Court on Wednesday described a very sad situation criticizing the Crime Branch SIT for not registering an FIR against five policemen in the murder case of Akshay Shinde, accused in the Badlapur sexual harassment case. This sharp comment of the court has come after the confession of government lawyer Hiten Wanegaonkar that despite the clear order of the High Court on 7 April, the SIT has not yet registered a case.
After this, government lawyer Hiten Wanegaonkar assured the court that a case will be registered by 3 May. He said that the SIT wants to determine whether Akshay Shinde’s parents want to work as a complainant in the case. Later, he informed the bench that Police Inspector Mangesh Desai has been nominated as a complainant. They will see the papers and Kairawai of this case.
A bench of Justice Revathi Mohite Dera and Neela Gokhale accepted this statement. On April 7, the High Court directed Lakhmi Gautam, the Joint Commissioner of the Crime Branch to form an FIR against the five policemen held responsible for the investigation of the death of Akshay Shinde and the magistrate’s investigation report. The bench emphasized that it is mandatory for the investigating agency to register an FIR.
Last week, the High Court reprimanded the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which was initially investigating the case. The CID handed over all the documents to the SIT on 25 April. On Wednesday, when the High Court asked if the case had been registered, the government lawyer Venegaonkar gave a negative reply. Angered by this, the bench said that when a cognizable offense is clear, the police uses conscience and register a case.
After this, Venegaonkar said that the SIT does not have a copy of the magistrate’s investigation report, in which five policemen have been convicted. He assured the court that the SIT had no intention of ignoring the order. An FIR will be lodged, there is no two opinions in it. The order will be fully followed. Two KG class girls were sexually assaulted in a school in Badlapur in Thane district.
Akshay Shinde (24), accused in this case, was shot dead inside the police van on 23 September 2024, when he was being taken from Taloja Jail to Kalyan for investigation in another case. The police team claimed that they shot him in self -defense, as he had snatched the gun of an officer. His parents alleged that he was killed in a fake encounter. The petition was filed demanding an independent inquiry.
In the investigation report conducted by a magistrate, five policemen were convicted, stating that the claim was that it was a fake encounter. In the magistrate’s report, the nominated senior police inspector Sanjay Shinde, Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More, Head Constable Abhijeet More and Harish Tawde and police driver Satish Khatal. After the arrival of this magistrate report, further hearing is going on in the High Court.