The Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the Badlapur sexual assault amid growing outrage and protests.
The matter has been scheduled for hearing on Thursday by a division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan.
Two four-year-old girls in Badlapur, Thane district were allegedly sexually assaulted inside the school toilet by a sweeper.
The shocking incident was uncovered after one of the kindergarten students complained of pain in her private parts. When the parents took her to the doctor, he confirmed the girl was sexually assaulted.
She later told her parents that the sweeper, identified as 23-year-old Akshay Shinde, touched her inappropriately. Parents of one more girl spoke to the family and revealed their daughter also went through the same ordeal at the school toilet.
The accused has been arrested and sent to a police remand till August 24. However, according to reports, the family members of the victims were allegedly made to wait for around 11 hours for registration of the FIR.
The incident, which surfaced amid nationwide protests over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, triggered massive public outrage, leading to protests outside the school.
Enraged parents and citizens demanded swift justice for the victims. The agitations quickly escalated, turning violent, with protestors pelting stones and vandalizing the school premises.
They also blocked train services at Badlapur railway station, prompting police to resort to lathi charge.
The Maharashtra Police have also arrested dozens of individuals and registered an FIR against hundreds others involved in the protest.
Amid this growing unrest, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition has called for a statewide Maharashtra Bandh on August 24.
The bandh is intended to protest against not only the Badlapur incident but also the broader rise in crimes against women and children in the state.