Badlapur encounter: Shiv Sena leaders detained for vandalising burial site

The locals protesting against the burial; (right) Akshay Shinde buried at the cemetery in Ulhasnagar on Sunday

Ulhasnagar police detained Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leaders for allegedly vandalising the burial spot of Akshay Shinde on Sunday, the main accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case.

According to a Bombay High Court order, burial procedures for Akshay Shinde had begun at the cemetery in Ulhasnagar Camp 3. However, hundreds of citizens, along with local leaders from Shiv Sena, expressed strong opposition to the burial. The escalating tension prompted authorities to deploy a large police presence to prevent potential unrest.

Shinde faction leaders Rajendra Chaudhary and Bala Shrikhande took an aggressive stance against the burial. Their supporters allegedly filled the burial pit with soil, forcing the administration to postpone the burial ceremony.

According to the leaders of the Shinde faction, Akshay Shinde's alleged heinous crime hurt the sentiments of Ulhasnagar citizens, and therefore, he should not have been buried in the city.

Many citizens gathered in large numbers at the cemetery and raised slogans in opposition. "There is no place in our city for the burial of someone who committed such a cruel act," said a local resident said to mid-day.

"The locals and leaders gathered near the cemetery and raised objections over the burial, so we intervened and convinced them not to protest. Some people were detained and later released. As per the court order, Akshay Shinde has been buried here," said Ulhasnagar DCP Zone 4 Sudhakar Pathare while speaking to mid-day.

After the police intervention, the protest ended, and Akshay Shinde was buried in the cemetery at Ulhasnagar Camp 3.