Sharad Pawar leads MVA protest over Badlapur sexual abuse, slams govt on women’s safety
"There is not a day in Maharashtra when there is no news of atrocities against women...," Pawar stated.
Maharashtra police have registered four FIRs and arrested 66 people following protests against the alleged sexual abuse of two minor girls at a school in Badlapur near Mumbai.
The protest, which saw hundreds of demonstrators taking to the streets and disrupting train services, has prompted authorities to suspend internet services in the area to prevent the spread of rumors.
The protests erupted after news broke that a janitor at a local school allegedly assaulted two four-year-old girls, leading to widespread public outrage.
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The accused, identified as Akshay Shinde, has already been taken into police custody. He has been sent to police remand till August 24.
However, public’s anger turned into large-scale demonstrations, with protestors blocking major roads and halting local trains at Badlapur railway station.
According to the police sources, the FIRs have been lodged against approximately 500 protesters. The charges include rioting, damaging public property, and causing harm to public servants.
Authorities are also trying to identify more individuals involved in the unrest by reviewing CCTV footage and more people are likely to be arrested.
Earlier on Tuesday, the police had to resort to lathi charge on the protesters, who stopped trains at Badlapur railway station over alleged police inaction.
The incident that comes in the wake of nationwide protests over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata prompted the Maharashtra government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate the sexual assault case.
State Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan visited the protest site and reassured the public that severe punishment would be meted out to the accused.
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