Amid violent protests in Maharashtra over the alleged sexual assault of two girls at a school in Badlapur, ACP Badlapur, Suresh Varade on Thursday appealed to everyone to not believe the rumours. He further stated that the rumours that have been spread are all false and that the cyber cell will not spare those found guilty of doing so.
"Some rumours are being spread about the incident that took place on the campus. An appeal is being made by the police station and the commissioner to not believe the rumours. If you have any questions or want to know anything, contact the police. Whatever rumours are being spread against the victim of the incident or her family, those rumours are all false and strict action will be taken by the cyber cell against those guilty of spreading such rumours," said ACP Badlapur, Suresh Varade. Notably, the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the alleged Badlapur sexual assault case. The matter is being heard by a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan. SIT Chief Special IG Arti Singh has been leading the investigation into the case. Advocate General Biren Saraf told the court that Arti Singh is the head of the SIT and she is investigating the whole matter. The court was told that the investigation has started from every aspect, and there will be no mistakes anywhere. The police have handed over a copy of the FIR and some important documents to the judge. He further added, "The statements of the minors have been recorded but not under Section 164. The alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls at a school in Maharashtra's Badlapur has sparked outrage. On August 17 police arrested an attendant of the school for allegedly abusing the girls. This incident has created massive outrage among the people in Badlapur. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has recommended the establishment of special branches or "mini-police stations" for women and children in every police station across the state. This development came in the wake of an alleged delay in registering the crime by the police in Badlapur. Chairperson Susieben Shah shared a detailed plan in this regard during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. Addressing the press conference, Shah said, "Currently, police stations have Women's Help Desks, Special Juvenile Police Units, and Child Welfare Police Officers. However, these units are not dedicated solely to addressing complaints from women and children, often leading to the unavailability of trained personnel when needed. Officers in these units are frequently assigned to other duties, causing delays in registering and investigating complaints." (ANI)
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