From Kolkata to Maharashtra’s Badlapur, the nation is enraged. Protests are erupting across the country. Doctors are demanding better security. Even the Supreme Court has expressed concerns. Just as everyone was worrying about the safety of daughters in Bengal, a heinous incident in Badlapur brought people to the streets. In schools, on roads, in buses, and hospitals, daughters are suffering at the hands of malevolent individuals. In a country that worships daughters as embodiments of strength, they continuously ask, 'When will we be shielded with protection?'
While the entire nation is angry over the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata, Maharashtra’s Badlapur has reported another heart-wrenching incident. Citizens are protesting against the same issue in both Kolkata and Badlapur: the sexual exploitation of young girls. From Kolkata to Badlapur, nothing seems to have changed.
In a school in Badlapur, two 4-year-old girls were subjected to such a despicable act that thousands gathered at a railway station in protest. After a police baton charge, the railway tracks were cleared, and services resumed after 10 hours. The public accuses the police of making them sit for over 12 hours to file an FIR, and treating the victims’ families as if they were the criminals. In retaliation, thousands of enraged citizens took to the streets and held Badlapur railway station hostage, forcing the police to shut down the station.
People Demand Justice on the Streets
Following the police baton charge on protesters, the crowd retaliated by pelting stones at the police, questioning why justice is so challenging to attain in India’s bureaucratic system?
When someone’s sister, daughter, wife, or mother faces such brazen harassment, and the police just watch silently without taking action, citizens have no choice but to take the law into their own hands. They realize that without showing their ferocity on the streets, justice will never be served. Remaining silent and enduring such brutality won’t bring justice to their children.
It’s a grave misfortune for any nation when its citizens must protest on the streets to stop harassment against girls.
The Abuse Came From School Staff
A 31-year-old female doctor in Kolkata was on duty in her hospital when she was raped and murdered. In Badlapur, a 4-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl were subjected to vile acts by a school janitor. After learning about the incidents, any parent would be consumed by rage and pain. Yet, in both cases, the authorities and police failed to deliver justice, prompting thousands in Badlapur to leave work and hit the streets, demanding that the culprit be hanged publicly within 24 hours, or they would launch a massive movement and take refuge on the streets.
One of the victims in Badlapur is just 3 years old, while the other is 4. The 24-year-old perpetrator abused the children and threatened to kill them if they told their parents.
Threatened After the Abuse
The accused, Akshay Shinde, employed as a janitor at a play school in Thane, allegedly assaulted the girls on August 12 and 13 in the school bathroom, threatening them with death if they spoke. The incident left the girls so traumatized that one even refused to go to school. The parents discovered the horrifying truth after noticing their children's unusual behavior.
Source: aajtak
On August 16, the family went to the police station to file an FIR and was made to sit for 12 hours. Police inspector Shubhada Shitole, a woman herself, refused to file the FIR. Such treatment drove the families to hold a night-long vigil at the police station, hoping for justice. However, Shitole showed no compassion for them or their young daughters.
Late at night, local leaders and a restless crowd forced the police to file the FIR under pressure. The culprit was arrested on August 17 and sent to jail. During a probe with the police, the school administration claimed that the CCTV cameras were off on the incident days, leaving the parents devastated and questioning why it’s so difficult to get justice in this country. They feel abandoned by both the police and the school they trusted with their children.
Police Reluctant to Help
Broken by this, the families wondered why justice is so elusive in India. They lament that neither the police want to work honestly nor does the school desire to assist.
Protesters Demand Hanging for the Accused
On August 20, the entire town of Badlapur called for a shutdown, demanding that Akshay Shinde be hanged within 24 hours to ensure justice for the children. The Maharashtra government suspended the female police inspector and took action against three school employees, including a teacher. Protesters also disrupted railway services. Yet, the lingering question is why the police often fail to work sincerely in such cases, forcing victims’ families to beg for justice?
Three Main Reasons for FIR Delays
In Kolkata, the accused ACP Chandan Guha was removed after the police failed to conduct their work with integrity. Similarly, the female inspector in Thane did not register the FIR upon the victims' families’ request, and this led to her suspension. This reflects a systemic issue across states where the police initially avoid registering FIRs.
First Reason:
Filing an FIR escalates the police’s responsibility to investigate thoroughly and act swiftly, increasing their workload.
Second:
An FIR becomes part of the senior police officers’ records, and unresolved cases mar their career advancement prospects.
Third:
Governments often pressure police to show lower crime rates, compelling them to avoid registering FIRs immediately.
These reasons lead to situations where citizens are forced to take to the streets to demand justice. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde promised stringent punishment for the culprit in Badlapur, but the people’s trust in the government and police remains shattered. They demand instant justice, wanting to see the culprit hanged publicly to ensure their children are protected.
