Violent protests erupt after sexual assault of two girls in Maharashtra
Mumbai: The sexual assault of two four-year old girls at a school near Mumbai in India’s Maharashtra state has sparked massive protests today, with demonstrators turning violent and disrupting local train services.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the victims, two kindergarten students, were allegedly abused by a male attendant in the school in Thane district’s Badlapur area, recently. Outraged by the horrifying assault, the victims’ parents, accompanied by local residents, initially rushed to the police station to file a complaint. However, their anger intensified when it was revealed that senior police Inspector Shubhada Shitole delayed registering the case, further stoking public fury.
In response, enraged parents and locals took to the tracks at Badlapur railway station early this morning, blocking trains and disrupting commuter services. The protests escalated as shops and other establishments in the Badlapur area were forcibly closed, and the school where the assault occurred was also shut down under pressure from the demonstrators. Local political leaders joined the protests, lending their support to the growing demand for justice.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control as demonstrators vandalized the school premises, smashing windows, breaking benches, and damaging doors. At the railway station, the unrest further intensified when some protesters began pelting stones, leading to violent clashes with the police. Despite repeated attempts by authorities to restore order and disperse the crowds, the blockade persisted for several hours, severely affecting daily commuters and amplifying calls for immediate action.
In the wake of the massive protests, the school management suspended the principal, the class teacher, and a female attendant. The police have since arrested the accused, but the response from law enforcement has been heavily criticized, particularly the delay in filing the FIR.
India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also intervened, with Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo expressing severe disapproval of the delayed police response. “The school’s attitude was insensitive, and there was an attempt to suppress the case,” Kanoongo stated, criticizing the local police for failing to register the FIR in a timely manner.
