Bombay High Court Orders Maharashtra Government to Provide Shelter and Jobs to Parents of Badlapur Case Accused
The Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra government to provide shelter and jobs to the parents of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case. The bench, led by Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan, took up the case on its own after public anger over police negligence.
Shinde’s parents, who work as manual scavengers, were present in court. The judges urged their lawyer, Amit Katarnaware, to use his network to help the family secure better jobs since manual scavenging is illegal in India. The court stressed that the parents should not suffer because of their son’s alleged crime.
The family, originally from Badlapur, had to flee their home after facing threats and violence following Shinde’s alleged crime and death in a police shootout. They now live in Kalyan but continue to face safety concerns. The court criticized the state for providing house security without ensuring full protection for the family.
In the same case, the court was told that the two young victims of Shinde’s assault would be moved to a new school, with the state covering their education costs. Shinde had been accused of sexually assaulting two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur. He was arrested but killed by the Thane police in a shootout in September while being taken for questioning.
The court has directed the state to urgently help the family with housing and employment to ensure they can live with dignity.