Badlapur Case Outrage: Congress Alleges 11-Hour Delay In Filing Complaint, 3 Police Officials Suspended

Three police officials, including a senior police inspector, were suspended by the Maharashtra government for their alleged dereliction of duty related to the investigation of the sexual abuse case involving two young girls at a school in Badlapur, on Tuesday.

The decision to suspend the officers followed a massive protest staged by hundreds of parents and other civilians in Badlapur. The protesters also blocked railway traffic in their demonstration, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Photo Credit: PTI

Congress Alleges 11-Hour Delay

Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on X that "orders for the immediate suspension of the senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector, and head constable attached to Badlapur police station have been issued due to their dereliction of duty."

The Eknath Shinde government has directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the allegations. Instructions were given to the Thane Police Commissioner to prepare a proposal for fast-tracking the case in court. Criticism from the opposition has emerged, with claims that the parents of the victims were forced to wait 11 hours at the Badlapur police station before their complaints were filed.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has called for the suspension of the police officer responsible for the delay, emphasizing the severity of the situation. "Atrocities were committed against a three-and-a-half-year-old girl and a four-year-old girl, and the parents had to wait 11 hours at the police station. Is there any sensitivity left? I spoke to the police commissioner and demanded the suspension of the woman police officer responsible for this delay," Wadettiwar stated, as reported by Hindustan Times.

The main accused, a member of the cleaning staff, has been arrested. The incident reportedly occurred in the school's toilet, where it was noted that no female cleaning staff were present. The abuse was uncovered when one of the girls reported pain in her private parts, and a subsequent medical examination confirmed the abuse, as per media reports.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi voiced the outrage felt across the state, calling for justice and the implementation of the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law. "The state is outraged by the sexual assault of two young girls in Badlapur. I urge Rashtrapati Bhavan to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law to prevent such tragedies. Shame on the state government for neglecting the safety of women," Chaturvedi said.