Mumbai: Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday condemned the alleged sexual assault of two girls at a school in Badlapur and said that the accused should be punished in a way that others also feel scared before doing such things.
Speaking to the media after visiting Malad Chinchvali Marathi School, Goyal said, "This is a very unfortunate incident. I strongly condemn it. The accused in this case should face the harshest action as soon as possible. They should be punished in such a way that other people also feel scared before doing such things."
"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar have taken full cognizance of the incident. I have full faith that the culprits will be punished through the fast-track court," he added.
Meanwhile, ACP Badlapur, Suresh Varade on Thursday appealed to everyone to not believe the rumours. He further stated that the rumours that have been spread are all false and that the cyber cell will not spare those found guilty of doing so.
Notably, the Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the alleged Badlapur sexual assault case. The matter is being heard by a division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan. SIT Chief Special IG Arti Singh has been leading the investigation into the case.
On August 17, police arrested an attendant of the school for allegedly abusing the girls. This incident has created massive outrage among the people in Badlapur.
The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has recommended the establishment of special branches or "mini-police stations" for women and children in every police station across the state.
This development came in the wake of an alleged delay in registering the crime by the police in Badlapur. Chairperson Susieben Shah shared a detailed plan in this regard during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday.
—ANI