The Bombay High Court has turned its skeptical gaze on the Maharashtra police’s version of the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault on two minor girls. Early this week, Shinde was shot dead in an alleged encounter by the Thane police.
This was followed by his father petitioning the Bombay High Court for a Special Investigation Team probe into what he alleged was a fake encounter. Even though Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde defended the police action as a measure taken in self-defence after the undertrial allegedly snatched a pistol from the police officer in an attempt to escape. The state government also informed the HC that the Criminal Investigation Department of the state police is already probing the matter, and two FIRs have been registered.
