Govt sets up commission for probe into Badlapur sexual assault accused

The Maharashtra government has formed a Commission of Inquiry for a probe into the killing of Badlapur school sexual assault case Akshay Shinde in an alleged shoot-out by police.

A home department gazette published on Tuesday said the single-member Commission of Inquiry will be headed by the Chief Justice (retired), Allahabad High Court, Dilip Bhosale.

The panel will submit its report in three months, as per the gazette.

Two girls, aged four and five years, were allegedly sexually abused by a male attendant inside the toilet of a school at Badlapur in Thane district in August.

Akshay Shinde, the accused, was subsequently arrested, but was shot dead by police in an alleged shoot-out on September 23.

The terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry will be the sequence of events which happened at the Mumbra bypass in Thane on September 23, regarding the exchange of fire between Akshay Shinde and the police escort party which resulted in his death, and the causes and consequences thereof, as per the gazette.

The probe will also focus on whether any individual or group of individuals or organisation was seen directly or indirectly responsible for the incident, it said.

It will also ascertain whether steps taken by the police in handling the situation were appropriate.

The panel will conduct a detailed examination of all related aspects and events of the incident.

The commission will suggest short-term and long-term measures to be taken by police to avoid recurrence of such an incident, the gazette said.

The Bombay High Court last week expressed concerns regarding the police shooting of Akshay Shinde, stating the incident could have been avoided and emphasised the necessity for a fair and impartial probe.

The HC also raised pertinent questions over the manner in which the shoot out was executed.

The court said while it was not impugning the police's integrity, it insisted on the importance of clarity in the investigation.

It also stressed the necessity for a fair and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.