Massive protests erupted at Badlapur in the adjoining Thane district of Maharashtra over the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a sweeper in the toilet of a leading nursery school and the “delay” in police action. Irate residents staged a “rail roko”, agitation crippling suburban train services between Badlapur and Karjat and disrupting normal life in Mumbai’s satellite town.

The citizens took to the street at Badlapur, after the news of the alleged sexual assault on girls in the kindergarten school run by Adarsh Vidya Prasarak Sanstha (AVPS) by a contractual sweeper on August 12 and 13 spread like wild fire in the satellite town, which is located 68 km away from south Mumbai.

It was the delay on the part of the local police to initiate action in connection with the incident that sparked protests.

Based on the complaint of the parents of the victim girls, the police registered an FIR on August 16 — three days after the incident — under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.  A day after the registration of the incident, the accused —identified as one Akshay Shinde (23) — was arrested.

The protesters laid siege to the Badlapur railway station for ten-long hours — from 8 am to 6 pm.  The  protesters squatted on the railway tracks, disrupted train services.  At one stage in the evening, the police resorted to lathi-charge to quell the protestors.  “We will resume the train services between Badlapur and Karjat after the protesters disperse,” a senior Central Railway official said.

The protests spilled to Badlapur town, where people — including a large number of women — barged into the controversial school premises, by breaking the main gate of the school. They ransacked the premises, smashing the window panes and damaging the furniture and other items. Raising slogans against the school management for its failure to ensure safety to the girl children studying in its kinder-garten school, the protesters raided the classrooms and virtually went on a damaging spree.

Elsewhere outside the school, the protesters blocked the roads and highway and hurled stones at the police personnel who tried to quell the angry citizens. The Badlapur town observed a spontaneous bandh, with shops, hotels and other business establishments remaining closed.

Given that the Badlapur incident has come on the heels of the much-discussed rape and murder of a junior doctor in a Kolkata medical college, the  BJP-led MahaYuti government found itself on the defensive with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) demanding the dismissal of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the State Home portfolio.

Having gone into a damage-control mode, Fadnavis swiftly announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Aarti Singh, a senior IPS officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police, to investigate the Badlapur sexual assault incident.

Simultaneously, Fadnavis asked Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbare to submit a proposal to the state government to  fast track the case and prosecute the accused  before  a special court.

Speaking separately to the media, chief minister Eknath Shinde said: “We have taken serious cognisance of the incident. We have already set up an SIT to investigate the case. We will fast-track the case and prosecute the accused in as quick a manner as possible. No one will be spared in the case”.

Meanwhile, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant in connection with the sexual assault incident.

In a related development, Leaders of the Opposition MVA -- comprising Congress, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) –  came down heavily on the BJP-led MahaYuti government for  the  “ very shocking and serious” incident.

NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule said the incident is “very shocking and serious” and the state home department must take note of the citizens’ anger.

“Apart from stern action against action against the accused, a case should also be registered against the management of the institution who tried to suppress this matter,” Sule said.

Congress Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar demanded the suspension of a woman police official who reportedly made the victims’ parents sit in the police station for nearly 12 hours before taking their complaint last week.

“This case must be taken up by a fast track court to hear it in three months and the accused must be given the death sentence,” Wadettiwar said.

Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve  asked the state government to ensure the strongest possible punishment for the accused to serve as a deterrent and book all others found guilty.

“The fear of the law has gone out of the minds of criminals. They feel that if others can get away, they also will not be caught and punished,” Danve said.

“The number of crimes against women is also increasing, but the state Home Minister and the government are not at all concerned. It is not enough to simply say ‘Ladaki Baheen’ and sit with rakhi in hand; If the government wants to preserve the true relationship with the sisters, it also has to fulfill the responsibility of keeping them safe as a true brother,” Congress MP and Mumbai President Varsha Gaikwad said.

Alleging that there was a complete collapse of law-and-order in the state, SS (UBT)’s spokesperson Kishore Tiwari demanded the immediate resignation  of Fadnavis and forming a SIT to probe the shocking case.

“The law and order does not exist due to corruption and cash deals to get desired police postings… The CM is like a rubber stamp  as there’s complete collapse of law and order due to hostile corruption and cash and getting the desired posting. The BJP is responsible for the present messy situation,” Tiwari said

Demanding the resignations of both chief minister Eknath Gaikwd and Deputy chief minister Fadnavis, Chief Spokesperson of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) Siddharth Mokle said the incident was a blot on humanity but the government “is only obsessed” about winning the forthcoming State Assembly polls at any cost and “is not at all bothered” about law and order matters in the state