Badlapur Rape Case: Accused dies in police custody after opening fire on cops

A man named Akshay Shinde, arrested for raping two girls at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra, was shot by police on Monday after he grabbed an officer's weapon and fired at the cops. The incident occurred while he was being transported in a police vehicle. Two officers were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

Police fired back at Shinde while he was being transported from Taloja jail to Badlapur for investigation, officials said.

The accused has been hospitalized in a critical condition.

This comes after Shinde was apprehended on August 17 for sexually abusing two girls, aged four and five, in a school toilet five days earlier. The has caused massive hue and cry and sparked protests in the area. Shinde worked as a cleaner at the school.

The local police were first in charge of the investigation, but after public outcry about major flaws in their handling of the case, the Maharashtra government created a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over.

A case has been filed against the school chairman and secretary under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for failing to report the incident to the police right away and for negligence. On Monday, they sought pre-arrest bail from the Bombay High Court.

In August, the Bombay High Court took notice of the case and is now supervising the investigation.