Badlapur assault case: ‘Our police will not clap if attacked,’ Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis on accused Akshay Shinde’s death

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized that the shooting of the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case was an act of self-defense, stating that the police "will not clap" if faced with an attack.

Speaking at the India Today Mumbai Conclave, Fadnavis clarified that he does not endorse "encounters" but cautioned against glorifying such incidents. 

Also Read: Badlapur sexual assault case: CID to investigate killing of accused Akshay Shinde | 10 updates

“We do not believe in encounters and I personally believe that the rule of law must be followed and, accordingly, the criminal must be punished and that must be done quickly. Our police will not clap if attacked, and they shot at the accused in self-defence,” Fadnavis told India Today.

‘CM orchestrated encounter’: Raut

Meanwhile, Leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut alleged that the State Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister orchestrated the encounter to protect the BJP and RSS affiliates associated with the same institution as the accused.

The UBT leader also accused the Maharashtra government of attempting to leverage the police encounter for their political gain, claiming that the CM and his Deputy are engaged in a race to take credit for the situation, ANI reported.

Also Read: Badlapur encounter ‘could have been avoided’: Bombay HC asks why was accused Akshay Shinde ‘shot in head directly’

"Rapists should be taught a tough lesson. And these fast-track courts should not get into such cases. There should be immediate justice", Raut said. However, he added, "If you encounter such people for your own political gain, then it is wrong." He also noted, “There is a race to take credit for encounters. I am Singham or you are Singham. This competition makes it clear how big politics is going on,” Raut said while criticising the competition surrounding the police encounters and accusing the CM Eknath Shinde and his Deputy Devendra Fadnavis of 'fighting' to take credit for the encounter.

What did Bombay HC say?

The Bombay High Court has raised concerns about the police encounter involving Akshay Shinde, stating, "It is difficult to believe this. Prima facie there seem to be issues." Justice Chavan highlighted that a physically weak individual would struggle to fire a pistol or quickly unlock a revolver.

Also Read: ‘Hard to believe’: Bombay HC pulls up cops, rejects ‘encounter’ claim in Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde’s death | 5 pts

Shinde's father, Anna Shinde, has filed a petition calling for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, claiming his son was killed in a fake encounter. The court has instructed that all case documents be transferred to the state CID for investigation, questioning the delay in this transfer. The next hearing is set for October 3.

Akshay Shinde, 23, was arrested on August 17 for allegedly sexually assaulting two girls in a school toilet. According to police reports, he was shot after allegedly firing at officers while being transported from jail. This incident has sparked controversy between the ruling Mahayuti government and the opposition, especially as Maharashtra approaches Assembly elections later this year.

(With inputs from agencies)