Special Correspondent
Mumbai: In a shocking revelation, the Mumbai High Court was presented with a magistrate inquiry report on Monday that confirmed the alleged encounter death of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur rape case, to be fake. The report held five policemen responsible for his death and highlighted several discrepancies in the incident.
Akshay Shinde, a school attendant at Adarsh Vidyalaya in Badlapur, had allegedly sexually assaulted two minor girls—a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old—on August 12 and 13, 2024. The abuse came to light after the girls refused to attend school, leading their parents to seek medical examinations. The families lodged a complaint on August 16, alleging that the police delayed registering the case by 12 hours. Shinde was subsequently arrested, sparking widespread protests. Enraged citizens demanded either capital punishment or public justice for the accused, even staging a bandh at the Badlapur railway station.
On September 23, 2024, while being transported from Taloja Jail for remand, Shinde was reportedly killed in an encounter near the Mumbra Bypass. According to the police, Shinde allegedly snatched API Nilesh More’s service revolver and fired three rounds, injuring the officer in the leg. In retaliation, the police claimed they shot Shinde in self-defense, with one bullet hitting his head and another his body. However, the inquiry report has debunked these claims, revealing the encounter to be staged.
The report noted that Shinde’s fingerprints were not found on the revolver, contradicting the police’s version of events. It also stated that the claim of self-defense was dubious and that five policemen misused their power in orchestrating the fake encounter. The bench comprising Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Dr. Neela Gokhale read the report in open court on January 20, 2025, stating that the collected evidence and FSL reports supported the allegations made by Shinde’s parents.
The state’s Advocate General, Hiten Venegaonkar, assisted by Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde, informed the court that action would be taken as per the law and a case would be registered against the responsible officers. The court directed the state to clarify which investigative agency would probe the matter. It also criticized the investigative lapses, including the failure to submit medical documents of the injured officer, which raised further doubts about the police’s claims.
The incident has sparked outrage, with the court highlighting the need for accountability and transparency in police actions. The case remains under investigation, with a focus on the involvement of the five
