Badlapur has yet to recover from the horrifying sexual assault case involving two minor girls that shocked the city. While daily routines have resumed, locals remain apprehensive about women's safety in the region. LokmatTimes.com visited the accused Akshay Shinde's residence in Kharvai, Badlapur, which was vandalized by fellow locals. Neighbors there feel unsafe letting their children play outside after witnessing such incidents. A brief visit to the school where the Special Investigation Team (SIT) came to record the management's statement revealed parents' demands regarding lapses in the security system, including non-functional CCTV cameras. Many parents expressed disappointment over insufficient female cleaners and staff.
The school remains closed, with police deployed on the premises. Non-teaching staff members and parent representatives were called for an internal inquiry. "We have not been officially informed when the school will reopen. However, various messages on school groups from parents suggest the school should remain closed until the perpetrator is hanged," said a parent of a 4th-grade girl at the school.
Another parent who participated in Tuesday's protests at the school and railway station told LokmatTimes.com, "The protests were pre-planned by some political organizations that mobilized the crowd. As a parent of a child studying in the school, I never want any destruction of school property. No parent would ever vandalize school property or resort to violence. I also studied in this 75-year-old school spread across 16 acres. We want justice, but through legal means. The atmosphere became tense due to viral messages and social media."
A local rickshaw driver whose child also studies at the same school said, "The matter was suppressed by school authorities, and there are serious lapses in the initial investigation. Even after such a big incident, a drunk man entered the school premises the day before yesterday and started creating chaos. The security system needs to be improved."
Neighbors Speak Out: Shock and Concern in the Accused's Community
Neighbors of the accused claim he has been married thrice, and his third wife, who was pregnant, went to her village for delivery. "Akshay was living with his mother and father, who worked at the same school. He also had two brothers, and they all lived together. I heard that Akshay was mentally ill, but I never witnessed any fights from his house. His mother occasionally spoke with me, but we never thought something like this would happen in our locality," said a local woman who has lived near the accused's house for 40 years.Some neighbors expressed fear and concern for their safety. "We are worried about our children. We saw on the news channels and were shocked to learn that a person from our locality did this. There is now a police officer deployed here."
Although internet services have been restored, Badlapur is still recovering. Posters reading "#MyChildNotForPolitics" can be seen throughout the city, and there is increased tension among locals over the rising crime against women. Shops opposite the school remain closed. The sexual assault case in Badlapur has left a deep impact on the community, exposing vulnerabilities in school security systems and highlighting the need for improved safety measures.