Thane crime branch arrests two accused in Badlapur sexual assault case

The president and secretary of the school, Uday Kotwal and Tushar Apte respectively, where two minor girls were sexually assaulted by a sweeper, were apprehended in Karjat, according to officials.

The arrests came a day after the Bombay High Court rejected Kotwal and Apte's anticipatory bail pleas.

The main accused in the case, Akshay Shinde, was killed in a police encounter earlier in September.

According to the Thane Police, Akshay Shinde was being transferred from Taloja Jail to Badlapur in relation to a new case filed by his wife. During the transfer, he allegedly snatched a weapon from a police officer and opened fire. Shinde was injured near the Mumbra bypass and later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) criticised the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government over the encounter.

"The Mahayuti government's handling of the Badlapur sexual assault case involving two minor girls is appalling! First, there was a delay in filing the FIR, and now the prime accused has been killed in custody! This represents a complete collapse of law enforcement and the justice system. It is inexcusable and denies the people of Maharashtra the justice they deserve," NCP MP Supriya Sule said.

In September, the family of the deceased Akshay Shinde, accused in the Badlapur rape case and killed in the police encounter, approached the Bombay High Court. The family sought permission to locate a burial site for Shinde, as they faced difficulties in finding land for his grave.

Initially, the family tried to secure a burial site in Badlapur and then in Ambarnath, but were unsuccessful, according to sources. Due to these challenges, they filed a petition in the Bombay High Court through their lawyer, Amit Katarnavare. (ANI)