Bombay High Court Questions Maharashtra Govt on Lack of FIR in Custodial Death of Badlapur Accused

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Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has questioned the Maharashtra government on why a First Information Report (FIR) has not been registered despite a magistrate’s inquiry report holding five policemen responsible for the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale on Thursday reserved its order on whether the government should lodge an FIR based on the findings of the judicial inquiry. The court stressed that an accidental death report (ADR) alone was not sufficient when the cause of death appeared to be homicidal.

“We are concerned about the registration of FIR. Where is that? Is the ADR an FIR? When it is clear that the death was not accidental or natural, shouldn’t an FIR be lodged?” the bench asked.

Shinde, who was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls inside a school washroom in Badlapur, was killed in an alleged police shootout on September 23, 2024, while being transported from Taloja prison to Kalyan for questioning.

The Maharashtra government, represented by senior counsel Amit Desai, defended its stance, stating that the case was already under investigation by the state’s Crime Investigation Department (CID). He further informed the court that a commission led by a retired Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court had been constituted for a thorough probe.

Despite these arguments, the HC questioned whether an FIR should have been lodged once it was evident that Shinde’s death was not accidental. The court also sought clarity on the CID’s next steps once its investigation concludes.

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