'Protect 'Ladki Bahin' First': 2 Pre-School Girls Molested, Protests in Badlapur

Visual inputs: Alim Sheikh and Aniket Wanve

"The Kolkata rape and murder case just happened. While that crime has not stopped making headlines, we see such a heinous act on two little girls. Imagine the life-long trauma that they must endure. I just could not sit at home," said a woman, a mother of two and teacher who joined thousands of demonstrators on Tuesday, 20 August, in Maharahtra's Badlapur to protest against alleged molestation of two minor girls in a school run by a private trust.

Massive protests and violence erupted in the town in Thane district four days after the police arrested a school staffer, a sweeper hired on contractual basis, for allegedly molesting at least two four-year-old minors.

While the matter came to the fore last week and the accused has already been arrested, parents and civilians marched to the school at 6.30 am on Tuesday to demand a speedy trial and death sentence for the accused.

Hundreds of protesters also simultaneously gathered at the Badlapur railway station for 'rail roko' protests, following which clashes erupted between the police and the protesters as a group resorted to stone pelting.

Some people also briefly entered the school and vandalised the premises on Tuesday, visuals accessed by The Quint show.

One Victim's Parents Informed Others: How the Matter Came to the Fore

A minor girl studying at the school last week reportedly informed her parents about the accused, a 24-year-old Akshay Shinde, having touched her inappropriately, following which her parents reached out to the family of another classmate of hers.

The parents of the second minor then took their daughter for a medical exam in a nearby hospital, which confirmed that she too was molested.

According to local media reports, Shinde was hired on a contractual basis by the school on 1 August.

The two families, along with party workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) then filed a complaint against the accused on 16 August.

The parents and local MNS workers, however, alleged that the police took about 12 hours to file a First Information Report (FIR).

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'We Don't Want Rs 1,500 in Our Accounts, We Want Protection'

Speaking to The Quint, a protester said that she was a teacher as well as a mother and she had participated in the protests "for the sake her little girl."

"Our demand is clear, we just want the accused to be hanged at the earliest. First, they took 12 hours to register an FIR. Now, it's been fours days since the arrest. What has the police done in terms of its investigation?" she said, on condition of anonymity.

Speaking to the media, a protester said that the government must protect the children of their ladki bahin (beloved sisters), taking a jibe at the chief minister's direct cash transfer scheme for women.

"You call us your beloved sisters but what are you doing to protect them and their children? We don't want your money, Rs 1,500 will not do anything till our children get justice. We leave our children in the care of the schools and we step out to work ourselves. How do we work if our children are not safe? We don't want your Ladki Bahin Yojana, we want our children to be safe," she said.

"What do they always teach us in school? That the police is for our protection. Who was the police protecting? Why are they trying to disperse us using lathis?" another protester asked.

While several senior police officers tried to pacify the crowd, most protesters said that they will not end their demonstrations till the accused is hanged.

The police then resorted to lathi charge and shelled tear gas to clear protesters at several locations.

At the time of filing this report, Central Railway services near Mumbai remained suspended for 12 hours as protesters continued to demonstrate on the railway tracks at Badlapur station.

'SIT Formed, Officials Accused of Delay Suspended'

Following allegations that the concerned police officers delayed filing the FIR, state home minister Devendra Fadnavis' office said that the Police Inspector, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, and head constable present at the time of the procedure have been suspended.

Fadnavis also said that a SIT has been constituted to probe the matter.

"Senior IPS officer Aarti Singh, an IG level officer has been appointed to lead the probe. Whatever tangents the investigation needs to take, those will be taken," he said, saying that the trial will be held in a fast-track court.

Responding to protesters' demands of death sentence for the accused, he said: "We are doing everything we can within the ambit of the law to ensure speedy and strictest punishment for the accused."

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier addressed the media to say that the strictest punishment will be ensured for the accused.

"I have discussed the matter with the police chief. The accused was arrested and gas been booked under charges of murder, molestation, and sections of POCSO. We have also demanded that the case be heard in a fast-track court. A probe against the trust running the school has also been ordered. The trustees and those running the school must have had thorough background checks before hiring the accused. We will also release fresh guidelines for the same," he said.

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'It Did Not Take 12 Hours to Register the Complaint'

The police, meanwhile, said a strong FIR was filed against the accused ahead of his arrest.

Addressing the media, DCP Sudhakar Pathare said: "Along with officers of the police station where the complaint has been filed, two senior female police officers from neighbouring stations have also been appointed to assist in the probe. We are vigilant that no details or evidence gets missed in order to make a strong case against the accused."

"I want to appeal to the residents of Badlpur that the protests on the tracks and calls for Badlapur bandh are distracting officials from the probe against the accused that they need to focus on," he said while appealing to the protesters to end the agitation.

While the school's trust has suspended the principal and two staffers responsible for taking care of the children, the police said that the school authorities may also face criminal charges if any negligence is found on their part.

Reacting to the alleged delay in filing the case, DCP Pathare said: "Both victims were 3-4-year-old girls. First, it was imperative to fully understand their allegations with the help of the parents. Following that, registering the details using the new sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, then finally filing the report is a time-consuming process. The process did not take 11-12 hours as is being claimed."

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