Hours after the main suspect in the Badlapur sexual assault case was gunned down in a retaliatory shooting by Maharashtra Police, the ruling Mahayuti coalition faced sharp attacks on Monday from leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which brands the incident one of the biggest failures of law enforcement and the judicial system. The Mahayuti government, however, defended the shooting as an act of self-defence. It has once again brought renewed political debate in the state.
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), several leaders of MVA cleared that they do not appreciate the behavior of the police towards the killing of the accused Akshay Shinde. They raised critical questions for how a handcuffed man could snatch a fire arm and become so habitual about handling it.
Sushma Andhare, Shiv Sena spokesperson of UBT drew a comparison with the 2019 killing of four rape suspects in Telangana and said that, much like that case, the truth behind the Badlapur incident would remain hidden under the covers with the suspect's death. "Was Akshay Shinde killed because he was hiding something more sinister? Why is the school management still at large?"
Leader of the opposition in the assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar countered this episode, stating he was not at all sure of the credibility of the police station at Badlapur. "Is it an attempt to wipe off the crime evidence? This is a clear case of discrepancies. Were the hands of Akshay Shinde tied when he was being taken away? How can one, whose hand is tied, access the gun? And how did the police present this negligence on their part? We seek judicial probe into this incident."
The NCP (SP) leaders too had their share of rhetoric against the Mahayuti government. Sharad Pawar dubbed the incident questionable, and Supriya Sule talked about the totally shocking handling by the government in the Badlapur rape case involving two minor girls. She remarked, "There is a delay in filing the FIR and, in the same case, the main accused died in custody! All such scenarios exhibit a complete derailment of law enforcement and administration of justice. Such conduct is completely unacceptable denying the people of Maharashtra the right to justice."
Opposing parties went to the extent of accusing the police of genocide. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remained vocal in their support for the actions taken by police, which called the shooting an act of self-defense. Speaking to journalists, Shinde said the former wife of the suspect had accused him of raping her and while the police were taking him in for questioning regarding the case, he snatched the policeman's gun and started firing, after which the police retaliated in self-defense.
Chief Minister Shinde also reacted to the questions of media on opposition reaction saying, "Earlier, the opposition parties demanded hanging of Akshay Shinde. And today, they are supporting him and questioning the integrity of the Maharashtra police. Such actions on the part of the opposition leaders is disgusting and a pity.
Deputy chief minister Fadnavis restated Shinde's stance with the argument that police were merely defending themselves and Akshay Shinde died in their custody while he was being taken into custody for questioning over the allegations levelled by his ex-wife. "The opposition questions everything. They wanted him hanged earlier. It is not proper when police were trying to save lives."
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