Badlapur sexual abuse: Devendra Fadnavis orders suspension of head constable, 2 inspectors

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the Thane Police Commissioner to immediately suspend the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and head constable of Badlapur police station who delayed action in the sexual assault case, his office informed on Tuesday.  

Two kindergarten girls, aged three and four years, were allegedly sexually abused by a school attendant in Badlapur, Thane district.

Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said that the incident of rape in Badlapur was very serious and that the state government had formed an SIT under the leadership of a woman officer of IG rank to investigate the case. "The government is trying to get the case to the fast-track court so that the victim's family can get justice as soon as possible," he said. 

The incident has sparked massive outrage, particularly due to a reported delay by the local police in lodging the First Information Report (FIR). 

Sharing the actions taken so far, Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora said the accused has been arrested and will face trial in a fast-track court. An SIT under a DG Rank officer has been established and the school principal, class teacher, and attendants have been suspended, he said, adding that the police officers who delayed action have been removed from duty. 

On August 17, police arrested an attendant of the school located in Badlapur for allegedly abusing two girls studying in the kindergarten. According to the complaint, the accused abused the girls in the toilet of the school.

The girls had told their parents that the attendant had touched them inappropriately, following which a complaint was filed and a case registered against him under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. 

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) will dispatch a team to Thane. The apex child rights body has also questioned the delay in the registration of an FIR in the matter. NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo expressed his distress over the incident and announced that a team would be dispatched to investigate the matter. He questioned why police made the victim's parents wait for 12 hours to get an FIR lodged.