Accused in Badlapur snatched pistol and fired three shots at policemen before confronting them; family alleges conspiracy | Updates

Thane police on Tuesday said the accused from Badlapur, who was shot dead in an altercation, snatched the service pistol of sub-inspector Nilesh More from his hip and fired three shots at the police team. While Nilesh More sustained injuries on his left thigh, senior inspector Sanjay Shinde fired the final shot that killed the accused in an altercation that sparked a political row in Maharashtra.

The Thane CID escorted Akshay Shinde, who was arrested last month for allegedly sexually abusing two four-year-old girls in a school in Badlapur, from Taloja Central Jail to Thane for questioning in connection with a complaint filed against him by his divorced second wife at Boisar police station last week.

The accused from Badlapur was booked under Section 377 (unnatural sexual intercourse) of the Indian Penal Code and the case was transferred to Thane for investigation by the Crime Branch. The police team took him into custody from Taloja Jail, where he was lodged, at around 5.30 pm on Monday. With four armed officials in the vehicle, the accused was being taken to Thane when the encounter took place.

What did the Thane police say?

1. When the police vehicle escorting the accused from Taloja Jail to Thane reached Mumbra Bypass, Akshay Shinde grabbed Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More’s pistol and fired three shots at him, one of which hit him in the thigh.
2. In “self-defense,” Senior Inspector Sanjay Shinde fired a shot at the accused, knocking him down in his police vehicle.
3. Both the injured policeman and the accused were immediately rushed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Government Hospital in Kalwa, where Akshay Shinde was declared brought dead.
4. Blood samples and four empty cartridge cases were also seized in the vehicle in which the encounter with the police and the defendant took place.

Political dispute breaks out: Who said what?

The clash with the rape accused from Badlapur triggered a massive political row. The state government led by Eknath Shinde defended the police action, while the opposition accused the Maharashtra police of negligence in the passage.

“He (Akshay Shinde) has been brought in for investigation as his ex-wife has filed a case of sexual assault. He shot at a policeman, Nilesh More, who was injured and admitted to hospital. The police acted in self-defence. More information will come to light after the investigation,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also supported the government’s stance in the case and criticised the opposition for criticising the police. “He was taken to hospital. The doctors will determine later, but according to the preliminary information we have, he died. The opposition is questioning everything, they themselves demanded that he be hanged. If he had attacked the police, would the police not have acted in self-defence? It is wrong to make an issue out of this,” said Fadnavis.

However, opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident as the accused’s death was suspicious. “Is it an attempt to destroy evidence? Were Akshay Shinde’s hands not tied by the police while he was driving? How could he reach for the gun and why was the police so careless? We demand a judicial inquiry into this matter,” he said.