Badlapur rape case: Accused dies in police custody after opening fire on policemen

A man named Akshay Shinde, who was arrested for raping two girls in a school in Badlapur, Maharashtra, was shot at by the police on Monday after he grabbed a policeman's gun and fired at the cops. The incident took place while he was being transported in a police vehicle. Two policemen were injured in the exchange of fire.

Police returned fire at Shinde as he was being transported from Taloja jail to Badlapur for interrogation, officials said.

The defendant was hospitalized in critical condition.

Shinde was previously arrested on August 17 for sexually abusing two girls aged four and five in a school toilet five days earlier. This had led to massive outcry and protests in the area. Shinde worked as a cleaner at the school.

Initially, the local police were tasked with investigating the case, but following a public outcry over serious deficiencies in the handling of the case, the Maharashtra government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over the investigation.

The school's headteacher and secretary were charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for not immediately reporting the incident to the police and for negligence. They moved the Bombay High Court on Monday seeking bail.

In August, the Bombay High Court became aware of the case and is now monitoring the investigation.