Badlapur sexual abuse case: Bombay High Court takes suo motu cognisance, matter to be heard today

The Kalyan Bar Association appealed to all its members not to accept the brief of the accused who was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the alleged sexual assault of two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra. The high court will hear the matter today. The matter will be heard by a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan.

Earlier, a city-based lawyer on Tuesday requested the Bombay High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter. Advocate Ajinkya Gaikwad approached Justice Bharati Dangre with his plea in the evening, but the judge asked him to approach the appropriate division or two-member bench. A single bench cannot hear such matters, Justice Dangre said.

What happened in Badlapur?
Two kindergarten students, aged three and four, were allegedly sexually abused by a 23-year-old male school attendant last week which sparked off a massive protest on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While the accused has been arrested, the Maharashtra government earlier in the day ordered the formation of a special investigation team headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh to probe the case.

Court extends police custody of accused till August 26
Meanwhile, a local court on Wednesday extended till August 26 the police custody of the accused. The attendant at the school was produced before a magistrate at Kalyan in Thane district amid elaborate security arrangements.

Opposition calls for Maharashtra bandh on August 24
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has called for a “Maharashtra bandh” on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault on the two girls.

Maharashtra education department in action
Maharashtra education department on Wednesday asked all schools in the state to install CCTV cameras within a month, in the wake of the Badlapur sexual abuse case.

A police official said initial probe suggests that some anti- social elements took advantage of the protest in Badlapur on Tuesday. Police are probing how such a large crowd gathered at the Badlapur railway station, he said.

Police are also examining some phone calls and videos in this regard, the official said.

Internet services in Badlapur were suspended on Wednesday, a day after the massive protest over the alleged sexual abuse case and 72 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence during the stir, officials said.

At least 25 police personnel were injured in the incidents of stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur during the protest as thousands of protesters blocked railway tracks at the station and stormed the school building.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said he has ordered the formation of a special investigation team headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said action will be taken against the school and the guilty won’t be spared.

NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule targeted the state government over the Badlapur sexual abuse case and demanded the resignation Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio.

(With PTI inputs)

News Source:- INDIA TV