Thousands of protesters blocked railway tracks at Badlapur station in Thane, protesting the alleged sexual assault of two girls by a school sweeper in the washroom.
On Tuesday, thousands of protesters blocked train tracks at Badlapur railway station in Maharashtra’s Thane district, rallying against the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a school sweeper in the washroom. The large-scale protest caused disruptions to local train services and led to the diversion of some long-distance trains.
After nine hours, police dispersed the protesters at Badlapur railway station using lathicharge.
Two four-year-old girls in pre-primary classes at a well-known co-ed school in Badlapur were allegedly sexually assaulted by 23-year-old cleaner Akshay Shinde on August 12-13. The assaults reportedly took place in the girls’ toilet, which lacked female staff supervision. Shinde, who was hired on a contractual basis on August 1, 2024, was arrested following a complaint filed on the night of August 16.
The situation came to light when one of the girls complained of pain and revealed the abuse to her parents, who then discovered that a second girl had also been assaulted.
According to India Today, citing an FIR, the alleged assault occurred between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on August 13. The family of one of the girls became suspicious on the same day after learning from a relative of the other girl that they were planning to file a sexual assault complaint.
The complaint stated that the girl seemed frightened and told her parents that an older male at school, whom she referred to as “dada” (Marathi for elder brother), had undressed her and touched her inappropriately.
The family reported the incident to the police on August 16, but the FIR was reportedly filed only around 9 p.m. that day, approximately 12 hours later. The FIR details the sexual abuse of the child by the accused.
Parents, Protesters Block Badlapur Railway Station
On Tuesday, the parents of the girls staged a silent protest outside the school in the morning. However, by 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., a large crowd had gathered, escalating the situation due to insufficient police presence. MNS leader Sangita Chedvankar, who was leading the protest, quickly departed, while Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kisan Kathore was reportedly present but did not intervene as the situation deteriorated.
As the protests intensified, the school suspended the principal and three staff members. Meanwhile, citizens have called for the death penalty for the accused, a school cleaner.
The Thane police have deployed heavy forces, and Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner Ravindra Shisve attempted to calm the protesters by promising strict action against the accused. Despite these assurances, the demonstrators continued their blockade of the railway tracks.
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The police eventually used tear gas and lathi-charged the crowd gathered outside the school and at the railway station, which intensified the protesters’ anger and led them to resort to stone-pelting.
Thane Protest: 12 Trains Diverted, 30 Local Trains Partially Cancelled
The protests at Badlapur railway station in Thane district disrupted rail services, resulting in the diversion of 12 mail express trains and the partial cancellation of 30 local trains.
According to a statement from the Central Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer, “Approximately 12 mail express trains have been diverted, with some rerouted from Badlapur to Kalyan, and then towards Karjat via Diva and Panvel. About 30 local trains have been partially canceled between Ambernath and Karjat-Khopoli. This number is expected to rise significantly as peak hours begin.”
However, he noted that “services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Ambernath and towards Kasara are running normally.”
