State govt's record of Badlapur case accused's death raises doubts: Sule

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule on Tuesday alleged loopholes in the Maharashtra government's version of circumstances leading to the death of the Badlapur sexual assault case accused in police custody.

Sule wondered how the accused whose face was covered with black cloth and who was handcuffed could snatch a pistol of a policeman in a moving vehicle.

The accused, Akshay Shinde, died on Monday in retaliatory firing by a police officer after he snatched the pistol of a policeman in a van and opened fire, leaving an assistant inspector injured, according to police.

The incident occurred when Shinde was being taken to Badlapur in Thane district from Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai in a police vehicle.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis stressed that police had fired in self-defence.

"I had demanded that the accused be hanged in public after trial to send out a strong message in society," Sule told reporters in Baramati.

Alleging loopholes in the government version of the chain of events leading to Akshay Shinde's death, Sule said the biggest question is how a person in police custody could reach the pistol of a cop.

"A policeman suffered a bullet injury in the incident which is very worrisome. Even police are not safe in Maharashtra. If there is CCTV footage of the incident, it should be made public," Sule demanded.