Badlapur minor rapes: The sexual assault of two four-year-old nursery students in Thane has sparked widespread outrage and highlighted serious concerns about the handling of such cases by authorities. According to reports, the parents of one of the victims only became aware of the assault after another set of parents, whose child was also victimized, informed them of their intention to file an FIR.
Following this revelation, the parents took their child for a medical examination, which confirmed the sexual assault.
The incident reportedly occurred on August 13, but the parents faced a significant delay in getting the police to file a First Information Report (FIR). The FIR was only filed on August 16, three days after the assault. Moreover, the parents claimed that they were made to wait for 11 hours at the police station before they were allowed to file the complaint.
Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, criticized the delay and lack of sensitivity displayed by the police. He has called for the immediate suspension of the police officers responsible for the delay in filing the FIR.
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The two victims informed their parents that a man, referred to as “dada” (a term used for elder brother or an older male), assaulted them at the school. The man in question is allegedly a 23-year-old school cleaner, who is now at the centre of the investigation.
The situation escalated into a massive protest in Thane, where thousands of people gathered at the Badlapur railway station, blocking train movements for several hours. The protesters, outraged by the crime and the police’s delayed response, demanded the death penalty for the accused. Chants of “hang, hang” echoed through the crowd, reflecting the public’s demand for swift and severe justice.
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In response to the gravity of the case, Ujjwal Nikam, a renowned lawyer and Padma Shri awardee known for his work on high-profile cases such as the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been appointed as the special public prosecutor. His involvement is expected to bring legal rigor to the prosecution of the case, as the community and the nation closely watch for justice to be served.
