Akshay Shinde killed for political gain: Shiv Sena(UBT) in 'Saamna'
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Shiv Sena (UBT), in its mouthpiece 'Saamna', has sharply criticized the BJP-led Mahayuti government following the Bombay High Court's observation that the inquiry report corroborated claims that Akshay Shinde, the main accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, was killed in a fake encounter. The editorial argued that Shinde’s case could have been fast-tracked and severely punished, but instead, he was killed in a staged encounter just ahead of the state assembly elections.
The editorial claimed that Shinde’s death was strategically timed to benefit political interests, particularly the BJP and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. The political leaders turned the incident into a spectacle to influence the electoral atmosphere. After Shinde's death, both Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis were seen engaging in a 'credit war,' with Fadnavis appearing in posters holding a gun, labeled 'Singham,' claiming to have brought justice. However, the inquiry committee later concluded that it was a fake encounter, finding five police officers guilty of the action.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) editorial further stated that the Thane Police Commissioner, Thane Guardian Minister, and Home Minister should be held accountable for the incident, suggesting that the murder could not have occurred without their approval. The editorial compared this situation to the Kolkata case where the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment, arguing that the call for swift justice in such cases often leads to unlawful acts for political purposes. It further highlighted the disturbing rise in sexual assaults and murders in the Badlapur-Ambernath region after Shinde’s encounter, criticizing the lack of action against those responsible.
The editorial also brought attention to the case of Vishal Gawli, a notorious criminal involved in the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl, asking why he was not subjected to a similar encounter as Shinde. The piece lambasted the lack of political will to pursue such criminals when the elections were over, implying that political priorities dictated the fate of such cases.
Shiv Sena (UBT) also criticized the state Home Minister and the police for misleading the public regarding Shinde's encounter, accusing them of covering up the truth. The editorial took aim at the police officer responsible for the encounter, Sanjay Shinde, describing his career as criminal in nature, alleging links to the Dawood Ibrahim gang, and claiming that he had a history of assisting criminals for financial gains.
The editorial made further references to other controversial police actions, such as the Lakhanbhaiya Pathak fake encounter case, where 20 policemen were sentenced to life imprisonment. Among those involved was Pradeep Sharma, a police officer allegedly linked to Eknath Shinde's faction, who is said to have masterminded Akshay Shinde’s encounter behind the scenes.
The Badlapur sexual assault case, which gained national attention, was also revisited in the editorial. The case involved the rape of a girl at a school, initially suppressed by the institution’s management. The case only gained traction after riots broke out, prompting authorities to take action. The Shiv Sena (UBT) editorial also drew comparisons to the unsolved Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, questioning why the attackers in that case were not also met with a similar fate.
With IANS inputs