Special Correspondent
Mumbai: Akshay Shinde, accused in the sexual assault case involving two schoolgirls in Badlapur, did not commit rape, claimed Jitendra Awhad, an MLA from the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Awhad further alleged that Shinde was killed to shield the real culprits behind the assault.
The MLA made this explosive statement during an all-party protest march held in Mumbai, demanding justice in the murder case of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district.
Akshay Shinde had died in a police encounter, and the Bombay High Court recently ruled that the police were responsible for his death. Awhad, however, dropped a bombshell by asserting that Shinde was innocent of the rape charges.
Awhad said, “The police are being maligned. The distance from which Shinde was shot is ridiculous. He was handcuffed; how could he pull out a revolver? And from whose pocket? It has now been established that the revolver did not even have Shinde’s fingerprints. People are hesitant to speak up because this is a rape case, but the truth is that Akshay Shinde did not commit the crime.”
He went on to allege that Shinde was murdered to protect the real perpetrators. “Who committed the rape? The ones I refer to as part of a caste-dominance agenda. These individuals appeared immediately after Shinde’s murder. The government plays on the fact that people have short memories. This entire case is part of a bigger game,” he alleged.
“The area where Shinde was killed falls under my constituency. A tea vendor near the spot had called me and narrated everything he witnessed, including the sound of gunfire. By the afternoon, the case against Akshay Shinde had become public knowledge. Now, the question is, who fired the bullets at Shinde, and why has no case been registered against them yet?”
Awhad further added, “The Bombay High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the case and questioned the plausibility of events from day one. Despite this, no FIR has been registered so far. This raises serious concerns.”
Referring to the broader issue of police encounters, Awhad remarked, “A senior police officer like Sanjay Shinde casually sits in a police van. We have seen police encounters and gang wars since childhood. Even Dawood Ibrahim knew what Mumbai Police were capable of, which is why he chose to stay in Dubai. He knew that the day Mumbai Police decided to act, his life would become impossible. That’s why he fled.”
These remarks have sparked a political controversy and raised questions about the handling of the case and the alleged manipulation of justice.
