Internet services in Badlapur in Maharashtra Thane district were suspended, while most schools remained shut on Wednesday, August 21, a day after a massive protest at Badlapur railway station over the alleged sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls at a kindergarten.

Entire Badlapur town virtually came to a standstill on Tuesday after thousands of protesters blocked railway tracks at the station and stormed a local school building after the alleged sexual abuse of two girls by the school sweeper in the washroom last week.

The protesters hurled stones at police personnel and vandalised the school building over the sexual abuse incident. The police cane-charged the protesters to disperse them and clear the tracks for train movement.

As per the complaint, Akshay Shinde abused the girls in the toilet of the school. In the wake of the incident, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant. The state government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of the two girls.

Angry parents of the school children and local citizens, including several women, gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning and also resorted to a 'rail roko' protest at the railway station, blocking the path of local trains from around 8.30am. Some of the protesters, including women, later damaged the school property by breaking its gate, window panes, benches and doors. The school where the incident happened belongs to a close relative of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Badlapur.

Protest over Badlapur school girls sexual abuse

1. On Wednesday, a local court extended till August 26 the police custody of Akshay Shinde. The accused, who was employed as an attendant at the school where the incident took place last week, was produced before a magistrate at Kalyan in the district this morning amid tight police security.
2. The court ordered the extension of his police custody till August 26, following which he was taken away by the police in a van, a senior official said. The police had arrested the accused on August 17. As per the complaint, he abused two kindergarten girls in the toilet of the school, the police have said.
3. At least 17 city police personnel and around eight railway cops were injured in the incidents of stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur during the protest on Tuesday and the investigators have arrested 72 persons in connection with the violence.
4. According to officials, additional police force has been deployed in the town to maintain law and order, and the situation in Badlapur is limping back to normalcy.
5. DCP Sudhakar Pathare said on Wednesday internet services in the town have been suspended in the wake of the protest and subsequent violence. "The internet services will be restored after taking a review of the situation in the town," he said.
6. Most schools in the town remained shut on Wednesday, local people said.
7. The police have registered three FIRs on charges of violation of prohibitory orders, armed unlawful assembly, assault, damage to public property, among others against the miscreants, a senior police official in Badlapur said.
8. A total of 40 persons have been arrested so far in connection with stone-pelting and other crimes. Attempts to identify other offenders are on. CCTV camera footage and video news clippings are being examined, he added.
9. Commissioner of Government Railway Police (GRP) Ravindra Shisve said one FIR has been registered in connection with the violence at Badlapur railway station and 32 persons have been arrested.
10. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said he has ordered the formation of a special investigation team headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh, while chief minister Eknath Shinde said action will be taken against the school. Eknath Shinde on Wednesday claimed the protest at Badlapur was politically motivated and aimed at maligning the state government.

source: hindustantimes