Susieben Shah Condemns Assault on Two Girls in Badlapur, Maharashtra

Susieben Shah, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, condemned the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Badlapur. She visited the school and identified shortcomings in the system. Shah emphasized the need for a separate structure for women and children, noting that 70% of the population in every district are women and children, and 15% of crimes are against them. She demanded that this structure be set up within three months.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole criticized the Eknath Shinde-led government for politicizing the incident, stating that Maharashtra has the highest number of crimes against children, with 21,000 incidents. He announced a Maharashtra Bandh on August 24.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam assured the public that the government condemned the incident and that the accused would be punished soon. He mentioned that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the case.

The alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls by a school attendant led to massive protests in Badlapur. On August 17, police arrested the attendant. Protests at Badlapur Railway Station resulted in stone-pelting, disruption of train services, and lathi charges. Heavy security was deployed, and over 40 people were arrested. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered a high-level probe into the incident.