Badlapur sexual assault cases: Oppn alleges fake encounter to shield BJP-linked trustees

Opposition claims Akshay Shinde's death was a staged encounter to protect BJP-linked school trustees, sparking political tensions ahead of elections.

MUMBAI: Opposition parties have alleged that Akshay Shinde was killed in a staged encounter to protect influential co-accused linked to the school’s management, who reportedly have ties to the BJP and RSS.

Badlapur sexual assault cases: Oppn alleges fake encounter to shield BJP-linked trustees

A recent inquiry into Shinde’s encounter has reignited political tensions, with leaders from the Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) accusing the Mahayuti government of orchestrating the killing for political reasons. Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh claimed, “Akshay Shinde was killed in a fake encounter to shield the school’s trustees, who have connections with the BJP. This is nothing but a cover-up.”

NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil added, “I suspect Akshay possessed critical information about the school management. To suppress that evidence, he was silenced in a staged encounter.” Echoing similar sentiments, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar stated, “We raised concerns at the time of the encounter, pointing out that it was executed to protect individuals linked to the BJP and RSS.”

NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad accused the police of acting under political pressure. “The police followed orders from their political bosses, and now five families of officers will suffer for the rest of their lives due to this politically motivated decision,” he said.

Sena (UBT) targets Shinde and Fadnavis

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut levelled serious allegations against deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. “My sources indicate that then deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis was kept in the dark about this encounter. Now that he is both CM and home minister, though currently abroad, he should clarify his stance,” Raut said.

Raut further alleged that the encounter was politically motivated, timed strategically before the assembly elections. He also questioned whether Eknath Shinde, the chief minister at the time of the incident, would step down from his current position, given the serious nature of the allegations.