Amid ongoing protests in Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of an alleged sexual assault involving 2 young girls at a school in Badlapur.
The case will be heard today by a division bench comprising Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan.
The incident, which involves the alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls, has caused significant public outrage in Badlapur. On August 17, police arrested a school attendant accused of abusing the girls, further fueling the protests.
In response to the growing concerns, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has proposed setting up special units or “mini-police stations” focused on women and children’s safety at every police station across the state. This recommendation follows allegations that the police in Badlapur were slow to register the crime.
MSCPCR Chairperson Susieben Shah shared a detailed plan during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Shah explained that while police stations currently have Women’s Help Desks, Special Juvenile Police Units, and Child Welfare Police Officers, these units are often overburdened with other duties. This lack of dedicated personnel can lead to delays in addressing complaints from women and children.
She highlighted that Crime Branch units within police stations are specifically tasked with investigating crimes, ensuring that officers remain focused on these duties.
“Considering that women and children constitute 70 percent of the country’s population, we cannot exclude such a significant demographic from the process of justice and security. It is crucial to establish a dedicated unit similar to the Crime Branch in every police station for registering and investigating crimes against women and children,” Shah emphasized.
Earlier, on Tuesday, police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse protestors at the Badlapur railway station after they blocked the tracks, leading to the diversion of 12 mail express trains and the partial cancellation of 30 local trains. Train services resumed late at night after the protestors were dispersed.
Maharashtra Police have since made several arrests and filed FIRs in connection with the protests, which included stone-pelting, disruption of train services, and a lathi charge. Officials have reported that the situation is now under control.
