Controversial Police Shooting of Rape Accused Raises Questions

In a dramatic turn of events, Akshay Shinde, a 23-year-old man accused of raping two nursery girls, was shot dead by a police officer in Badlapur. The officer involved, Sanjay Shinde, has a notable history in law enforcement, having been part of the team led by renowned encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma. The incident occurred on Monday, September 23, when Shinde allegedly snatched a policeman’s firearm and opened fire, injuring an assistant police inspector. In retaliation, Sanjay Shinde shot and killed Akshay Shinde, according to police reports.

Akshay Shinde was rushed to Kalwa Civic Hospital, where he was declared dead upon arrival. His death has caused a stir, with his family disputing the official account of the events leading to his shooting. “My son was afraid of bursting crackers and crossing the road. How can he shoot at policemen? The police also got the confessional statement written by him under pressure. What he was made to write, only he knows,” the accused’s mother expressed to reporters, as reported by NDTV.

Sanjay Shinde’s professional background includes working with the Thane Crime Branch‘s anti-extortion cell and participating in high-profile cases such as the 2017 arrest of underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim‘s brother, Iqbal Kaskar. Additionally, Sanjay Shinde is part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Maharashtra government to probe the Badlapur rape incident.

The police’s version of events claims that Akshay Shinde, employed as a contractual sweeper at the school, was involved in the sexual abuse of two minor girls in the school toilet, leading to his arrest on August 17. His death has been challenged by his family, who question the legitimacy of the police’s claims and assert that he was coerced into confessing under duress.

Notably, Sanjay Shinde’s career has been marred by controversies. In 2012, he faced an inquiry after Vijay Palande, an accused in two murder cases, escaped police custody, leaving behind Shinde’s uniform in the getaway vehicle. Furthermore, he was involved in another inquiry following a drunken altercation that resulted in gunfire exchanged with another officer at a bar. Additional scrutiny followed him in a kidnapping-related case.

Pradeep Sharma, to whom Sanjay Shinde was once connected, was recently convicted by the Bombay High Court for orchestrating a fake encounter in 2006 involving Ramnarayan Gupta, allegedly an associate of gangster Chhota Rajan. This past February, Sharma received a life sentence in connection with the killing.