Massive Protest at Badlapur Railway Station Over Alleged Assault of Two Girls
A large protest took place at Badlapur Railway Station in Thane, Maharashtra, on Tuesday. The protest was against the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls at a local school.
Government Response
Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar confirmed that one suspect has been arrested. He assured that the accused would face maximum punishment. Kesarkar stated, “This is a very sad incident. The entire machinery of the state education department has been activated. We have given instructions to four IAS officers from Pune and Mumbai. We are inquiring why the CCTV was not working in the school. After the complaint was given, no action was taken. So the Senior PI has been transferred. We will take this case to Fast Track court and ensure that the maximum punishment is given to the accused…Our entire department is present here and the safety of students is our priority.”
A notice has been sent to the school where the incident occurred. Several staff members, including two teachers, a headmaster, a class teacher, and two assistants, have been suspended. The incident took place between August 13 and 16, and no action was taken for 12 hours after the complaint was made on August 18, leading to the transfer of the Senior PI. The arrested individual may face up to 13 and a half years in prison under POCSO.
Public Outrage
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed the state’s outrage over the incident. She said, “Two young girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur, Maharashtra in the school premises; the entire state is outraged and seeks justice. I once again urge the Rashtrapati Bhavan to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, no other child or woman faces this travesty. Shame on the state government to continue to ignore the safety of women.”
Chaturvedi criticized societal attitudes towards women’s safety, questioning what could be said about such incidents happening on school premises.
Security Measures
Heavy security has been deployed to manage the crowd protesting at Badlapur Railway Station. The Central Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer stated that local trains were stopped at the station due to the protest.
Doubts Revealed
Badlapur Railway Station -: Badlapur Railway Station is a train station located in Badlapur, a town in the Thane district of Maharashtra, India.
Thane -: Thane is a district in the state of Maharashtra, which is in the western part of India. It is near Mumbai, one of the biggest cities in India.
Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is a state in western India. It is one of the most populous and economically important states in the country.
alleged sexual assault -: An alleged sexual assault means that someone has been accused of hurting someone else in a very bad way, but it has not yet been proven in court.
minor girls -: Minor girls are girls who are under the age of 18. In India, they are considered children and are protected by special laws.
Maharashtra Education Minister -: The Maharashtra Education Minister is a government official responsible for overseeing schools and education in the state of Maharashtra.
Deepak Kesarkar -: Deepak Kesarkar is a politician who is currently serving as the Education Minister of Maharashtra.
suspect -: A suspect is a person who is believed to have committed a crime but has not yet been proven guilty.
Shiv Sena -: Shiv Sena is a political party in India, mainly active in the state of Maharashtra.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament. It is a person who has been elected to represent people in the Parliament, which is the law-making body of the country.
Priyanka Chaturvedi -: Priyanka Chaturvedi is a politician and a Member of Parliament from the Shiv Sena party.
