Inspector Sanjay Shinde, who shot Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde, has claimed that the latter had warned that he would not spare anyone after grabbing a pistol inside a police van.
The Mumbra police in Thane registered a First Information Report against Akshay Shinde for ‘attempt to murder’ for opening fire on the police officer.
The FIR is based on the complaint of Sanjay Shinde, investigating officer of the SIT formed to probe the sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur, the case in which Akshay Shinde (24) was the accused.
Inspector Sanjay Shinde said he retaliated in self-defence as Akshay Shinde’s demeanor suggested he would kill everyone.
In his complaint, Sanjay Shinde said he was also conducting probe into another offence registered by Badlapur police on a complaint by Askhay Shinde’s first wife, accusing him of sexual harassment and unnatural sex.
On Monday evening, a police team took Akshay Shinde out of Taloja jail for probe of the case filed his wife, the complaint said.
The police inspector sat beside the driver in the driver’s cabin, while two constables and assistant police inspector Nilesh More sat in the back of the van with Akshay Shinde.
When they reached near Shil-Daighar police station, API More called inspector Sanjay Shinde and told him that Akshay Shinde was asking why they were taking him away and what new crime he had committed.
Akshay Shinde then started abusing the cops, so inspector Shinde stopped the van, and went into the back section and sat there with others, the complaint said.
Akshay Shinde was flanked by API More and constable Abhijit More. Sanjay Shinde and constable Harish Tawde were seated opposite. At 6.15pm, when the van reached the base of Mumbra Devi temple on Mumbra bypass, Akshay Shinde suddenly tried to pull out API More’s pistol, the complaint said.
In the ensuing scuffle, the pistol got unlocked and one round got fired; the bullet hit API More who collapsed, the complaint said. Akshay then seized the pistol, and pointing it at inspector Shinde and the constable, said “now I will not leave anyone alive”, the complaint claimed.
He fired two rounds but they dodged successfully, inspector Shinde claimed. Akshay Shinde’s body language suggested he would certainly try and kill everyone in the van, Sanjay Shinde further said, adding that hence, he fired one round in self-defence which hit Akshay.
The Akshay Shinde fell, and the constables pinned him down while the van drove to Kalwa civil hospital where doctors declared Akshay dead, the complaint said.
Akshay Shinde’s family moves Bombay high court
Akshay’s family has challenged the police’s version, claiming that he died in a staged encounter. His father has moved the Bombay high court seeking a probe by an SIT.
The Opposition as well as the kin of Akshay Shinde on Tuesday picked holes in police’s version of his killing and accused the government of trying to shield the school management.
His mother and uncle had alleged on Monday night that it was a conspiracy by police and management of the Badlapur school where the alleged sexual assault had taken place.
Akshay could not have snatched the weapon of a policeman as claimed by officials, they said.