Maharashrta Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday (September 25) defended the police in Badlapur sexual assault accused’s encounter saying that the officials were acting in self-defence and that they did not carry guns as a ‘showpiece’. He was speaking at Mumbai Conclave organised by India Today.

“The police shot in self-defence. They had guns not for showpiece. If he would have fled, the Opposition would have criticised and said that we made him flee. This is an unfortunate incident. The cops got injured in the encounter. We should support the police,”.

Akshay Shinde, the man accused of sexually assaulting four-year-old girls in a Badlapur school, was killed in a police encounter on Monday (September 23). As per police, when Shinde was being taken from Taloja jail to Badlapur, he snatched a gun from a police official and opened fire. Police say that Shinde was killed as the officials returned fire as self-defense.

There was immense public anger against Shinde after the sexual assault. Locals staged multiple rail-roko at Badlapur railway station in day following the sexual assault.

CM Shinde hinted that the accused had criminal tendencies.

“The woman had filed an FIR against him (Akshay Shinde). She gave a statement and said he was a monster. He had four wives. Imagine what cruelty he had meted out to them,” he said in the Mumbai conclave.

“When he had sexually assaulted those girls (in Badlapur) who are the same age as his daughters, imagine what they (victims) had gone through. This is an unfortunate incident,” he said.

Role of police questioned

Although nothing incriminating has been raised officially, the police officers involved in the encounter are facing allegations that they killed Akshay Shinde in a ‘staged’ encounter.

On Wednesday, Bombay High Court directed the state CID to look into the allegations after Shinde’s father approached the court. The court has ordered a probe into the encounter.

“The investigation has to be done fairly and impartially. If we find that this is not done then we would be constrained to pass appropriate orders,” a bench of Justices Revati Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said.

The court has directed that the forensic evidence be taken carefully. It has also said that ‘handwash’ of the police officials should be taken to see if there was any gunpowder residue.