Tue Sep 24 04:11:41 UTC 2024: ## Accused Badlapur Rapist Shot Dead by Police in “Encounter”
**MUMBAI, INDIA:** A 23-year-old man accused of raping two nursery school girls in Badlapur, Maharashtra, was shot dead by police yesterday after he allegedly snatched a constable’s gun and fired at officers. The accused, Akshay Shinde, was being taken into custody in a new rape and assault case filed by his first wife when the incident occurred.
According to police, the incident took place on the Mumbra bypass when Shinde, who was handcuffed, managed to grab the constable’s weapon and fired at the officers escorting him. Senior Inspector Sanjay Shinde, who is part of the Special Investigation Team probing the Badlapur rape case, retaliated by firing at Shinde. Akshay Shinde sustained critical injuries and died at the hospital.
Constable Nilesh More, who was also injured in the incident, is currently undergoing treatment.
The opposition has raised concerns over the incident, questioning how a handcuffed man could have managed to snatch a gun and alleging that the death could have been an encounter. The Maharashtra government has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter.
Sanjay Shinde, the officer who shot Akshay Shinde, has a controversial past. He has been subject to multiple inquiries, including one after a prisoner escaped police custody in 2012 and another in 2000 for his alleged involvement in a kidnapping case.
The incident has sparked further debate surrounding “encounters” in India, where extrajudicial killings by police are a recurring concern.
First Piper 