Badlapur sexual assault case shocking, there cannot be a compromise on safety, security of girls: Bombay High Court

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday called the sexual assault on two minor girls at their school in Badlapur “absolutely shocking” and said that there cannot be any compromise on the safety and security of girls.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray targeted Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saying those who see politics behind the massive protests over the sexual assault are either abnormal or protectors of the culprits.

The parents of the accused in the sexual assault case claimed that their son was innocent and he had been framed.

Terming the sexual assault in the Badlapur school “absolutely shocking”, a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said that action ought to be taken against the school authorities for not reporting the incident despite being aware of it.

It also blasted the police over the delay in registering the FIR.

The court had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the incident where two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted inside the school’s washroom at Badlapur in Thane district by a male attendant on August 12 and 13.

The FIR in the case was lodged on August 16 and the accused was arrested on August 17, as per court documents. The bench said the police machinery had not moved till the public hit the streets with a protest and outburst.

“Unless there is strong public outburst, machinery won’t move. Won’t the state move till public outbursts like this,” the court asked.

The bench said it was appalled to note that the Badlapur police had not probed the case properly.

“Such serious matters where girls as young as three and four-year-old have been sexually assaulted...how can the police take it so lightly,” the court said.

“If schools are not a safe place what is a child supposed to do? What did a three and four-year-old child do? This is absolutely shocking,” the court said.

The bench directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the government to probe the case to file a report by August 27, and asked what steps it has taken about recording the statement of the girls and their families.

Uddhav Thackeray slammed CM Shinde's claim that the Badlapur protest was politically motivated and most of the protesters had come from outside.

There is no political motive behind the bandh called by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on August 24, Thackeray said. The bandh is aimed at creating awareness that the security of women should be a priority, he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said those who had protested at Badlapur against the alleged sexual assault on the two kindergarten girls were locals and not outsiders as claimed by the government.

On Tuesday, thousands of protesters blocked the railway tracks at Badlapur station in Thane district over the sexual assault. The police cane-charged the protesters after they pelted stones.

Shinde had said on Wednesday that the protest at Badlapur station was politically motivated with an aim to malign the state government and those involved in it were mostly outsiders.

Meanwhile, the parents of the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case claimed that their son was innocent and he had been framed.

Speaking to a Marathi news channel, the parents said there is no truth in the allegations against their son.

The accused, who worked as an attendant, was on Wednesday sent to police custody till August 26.