Filed by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay, the petition also calls for the registration of an FIR regarding the alleged police encounter involving the primary accused, Akshay Anna Shinde, in the Badlapur case.
NEW DELHI: Today(27th Sept): A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court requesting the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the Badlapur encounter.
The plea also seeks directives for the Central Government, State Governments, and Union Territories to ensure that law enforcement agencies and police are under continuous surveillance through body cameras while on duty.
Filed by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay, the petition also calls for the registration of an FIR regarding the alleged police encounter involving the primary accused, Akshay Anna Shinde, in the Badlapur case.
The petitioner stated that the incident has deeply shocked the nation, particularly the State of Maharashtra, and is now commonly referred to as the Badlapur case.
The petitioner also requested that the investigation be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He argued that, given the political situation in Maharashtra and the fact that the same political parties hold power both in the state and at the central government level, there is concern about the influence on investigative agencies.
READ ALSO: [Badlapur Kindergarten Rape] Father of Accused Moves HC Seeking Burial Spot
He cited past instances where the CBI was described as acting like a “caged parrot,” as previously observed by the Supreme Court.
The petitioner has requested that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) be composed of officials of impeccable integrity, not only from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) but also from other investigative agencies that are free from the influence or control, direct or indirect, of the Maharashtra state government or political parties in power.
Anna Shinde, the father of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual abuse case, filed a petition in the Bombay High Court. He is seeking a court-monitored investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the police encounter that led to his son’s death.
Akshay Shinde had been accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls at a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra. He was fatally shot by a police officer while being transferred from Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai to Badlapur on Monday evening.
Earlier this week, while being escorted from Taloja jail to Badlapur in connection with another case filed by his second wife, Shinde was killed in what the police described as a retaliatory shootout.
According to the authorities, the incident occurred near the Mumbra Bypass in Thane after Shinde allegedly “snatched the gun of a policeman,” leading to police firing that resulted in his death.
Shinde’s father, however, has disputed this version of events. He has filed a petition in the High Court, alleging that his son was killed in a “fake encounter” and is calling for a thorough investigation supervised by the High Court into the circumstances of Shinde’s death.
The bench led by Justice Dere raised significant concerns regarding the incident, stressing the necessity of “a fair and impartial probe” and suggesting that “the incident could have been avoided.” These remarks have fueled further demands for an inquiry into the shooting.
In a related development on Thursday, Shinde’s family revealed that he had previously expressed a wish to be “buried instead of cremated.” Shinde’s remains are currently being held at a mortuary in a civic hospital located in Thane’s Kalwa area.
The family has encountered difficulties in securing a burial site due to opposition from local residents and various organizations. The local community’s resistance has created a challenging situation for the family, compounding their grief.
Speaking to a Marathi news channel earlier in the day, Amit Katarnavre, the counsel representing the Shinde family, emphasized that “the Constitution provides certain rights for bodies,” and the family intends to petition the High Court to ensure those rights are protected, particularly in relation to the burial.
This latest turn of events has intensified public scrutiny, with many calling for a deeper investigation into both Shinde’s death and the broader procedural actions leading up to the incident. The court’s involvement is expected to bring clarity and possibly resolve the matter surrounding his burial.
To ensure transparency and fairness, the petitioner suggested that the SIT should be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and that the investigation be monitored by the Supreme Court. The petitioner further called for strict action against police officers and anyone involved in the unlawful killing of the accused.
Additionally, the petition urged the Court to direct the Central Government, all State Governments, and Union Territories to ensure that their law enforcement agencies are under constant surveillance through body cameras while on duty. It also requested that the respondents submit compliance reports to the Supreme Court within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the Court.
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