Amid ongoing protests over the alleged sexual assault of two minors at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra, state minister Girish Mahajan addressed the situation, urging demonstrators to vacate the railway track they had occupied for over 10 hours. Mahajan emphasized that while the protesters’ demands for swift justice had largely been met, their insistence on executing the accused publicly was not legally feasible.
“I have been speaking with the protesters for over an hour, asking them to clear the railway track. We’ve taken action to meet their demands,” Mahajan told the media on Tuesday. He confirmed that a fast-track court would handle the case, prominent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam had been appointed to prosecute, and actions were being taken against the school administration and negligent police officers. However, he stressed, “The protesters are demanding the accused be brought before them and hanged. But such actions are not permitted under the law.”
The protests in Badlapur, sparked by the alleged assault of two fourth-grade girls, escalated throughout the day. Residents, angered by the incident, resorted to stone-pelting at the school where the crime allegedly occurred. Police responded by using tear gas and later employed a lathi charge to disperse the crowd, especially after protesters blocked the railway tracks, disrupting local train services.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, criticized the state’s response to the protests, particularly the use of force. “The lathi charge on peaceful protestors was wrong. Who is Girish Mahajan to intervene? Is he the Home Minister? The entire Maharashtra government is failing. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers have no right to be in power,” Danve remarked.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the alleged assault and announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. Fadnavis also directed the immediate suspension of senior police officers from the Badlapur police station, including the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and head constable, for delaying action in the initial phase of the investigation.
The situation in Badlapur remains tense as authorities work to maintain order while addressing the demands for justice from a community deeply shaken by the incident.