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A 23-year-old janitor, arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two four-year-old girls at a Badlapur school (Thane district), was shot dead in an encounter on Monday after he allegedly snatched a police officer's weapon and opened fire, police said.
According to the police, the accused grabbed Assistant Police Inspector (API) Nilesh More's service pistol while being transported in custody, firing three rounds in an attempt to escape. The incident took place near the Mumbra Bypass, resulting in injuries to API More and two other police personnel.
The accused, who had been lodged in Taloja Central Jail since his arrest in August for the alleged assault, was being escorted to Thane for further investigation into a separate sexual assault case filed by his former wife in 2021. According to a senior police officer, the crime branch's Special Investigation Team (SIT) was handling the case. The police reported that the shooting incident occurred between 6 pm and 6:15 pm.
API More sustained a bullet wound to his left thigh and was immediately taken to a hospital in Kalwa, along with the other injured officers. The accused, also injured in the exchange of gunfire, was declared dead at the same hospital. His body has been sent to Sir JJ Hospital for post-mortem.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addressed the media, stating, "His former wife had filed a sexual assault case against him. The police were taking him for investigation in that regard, when (the accused)… opened fire on API Nilesh More, who has been injured. As per the preliminary information, the police fired in self-defence."
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis echoed the statement, adding that the accused's estranged wife had lodged a sexual assault complaint against him, prompting the investigation. He confirmed that the police retaliated after the accused fired at them while attempting to escape custody.
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However, the parents of the deceased accused have raised questions about the police's account. They claimed that his hands were tied and his face covered, making it impossible for him to have fired at the officers. They have refused to accept his body and are demanding action against school management officials implicated in the case.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra's Leader of Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar, has called for a judicial probe, questioning how the accused could have accessed a firearm with his hands restrained. He suggested that the encounter might be an attempt to destroy evidence, pointing to absconding school trustees with alleged links to the BJP. "This case must undergo a judicial investigation to uncover the truth," Wadettiwar said.
NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Sharad Pawar also criticised the handling of the case, expressing doubt over the Home department's role in transferring the accused. "Such negligence raises serious questions," he remarked.
Former Home Minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh further questioned the narrative, suggesting that the encounter might be staged to protect influential figures. He stated, "How could someone with their hands tied snatch a weapon? This looks like a fake encounter to shield BJP-linked school officials."
The accused had been arrested on August 17 for allegedly sexually abusing two young girls in a school washroom earlier that month. Medical examinations confirmed the assault, sparking widespread protests across Maharashtra over the delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) and the lack of safety measures for children in schools.
Just last week, the SIT, led by Inspector General Aarti Singh, submitted two chargesheets to the special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) court in Kalyan.
(With agency input)
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