Badlapur encounter: Hours after HC rap, CID hands over case papers to Mumbai cops

The Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department has handed over the case papers related to the killing of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde to the Mumbai Crime Branch, an official said.

The crime branch has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case, the official said.

The SIT will study the papers based on which further action will follow, he added.

The development came on Friday evening, hours after the Bombay High Court pulled up Maharashtra police for failing to file an FIR against five police officials in connection with Shinde's custodial death.

Shinde (24), accused of sexually assaulting two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district, was shot dead inside a police van on September 23, 2024, while being taken to Kalyan from Taloja prison for probe in another case.

The escorting police team claimed they shot him in self-defence after he snatched the gun of one of the officials and opened fire.

An inquiry report by a magistrate indicted the five policemen, stating there was substance in the claim that it was a fake encounter.

The police officials named in the magistrate's report were Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Shinde of the Thane crime branch, Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More, head constables Abhijeet More and Harish Tawade and police driver Satish Khatal.