Badlapur case: Cop transferred from Thane to Mumbai

The protest in Badlapur following the incident earlier this week

Senior Police Inspector Shubhada Shitole, of Badlapur east police station has now been transferred to Mumbai from Thane district in Maharashtra, an official said.

The action was reportedly taken against Shitole after there was a delay in registering a case in the Badlapur sexual assault case of two minor girls.

The transfer order was issued against the senior police inspector and two other officials who were transferred with immediate effect, an official said.

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Shitole was earlier posted in Pune district and Thane on transfer came to Ulhasnagar Zone's Number 1 Police Station as a Second Police Inspector a year ago. She was than promoted to Senior Police Inspector of Badlapur east police station after working at the Ulhasnagar Police Station for a year.

Meanwhile, Aarti Singh, an IPS officer from the 2006 batch who was recently featured in Forbes Asia's Power Businesswomen magazine for fighting gender bias, has been appointed as the head of the SIT team formed to probe the Badlapur.

Dr Singh, a gynaecologist-turned-IPS officer, is currently posted as the Inspector General of Police (Administration) for Maharashtra Police.

Born into a middle-class family in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, Dr Singh faced typical concerns over the birth of a female child, including issues of security and dowry. However, defying all odds, Singh aspired to become a doctor and achieved her goal. During her internship as a gynaecologist in a labour ward, she was disturbed by the recurring question from new mothers: "Is it a boy or a girl?" - a clear indication that girl children were still unwelcome in society.

This realisation motivated Dr Singh to become a role model for girls. Realising the limitations of making broader societal changes as a doctor, she decided to become an IPS officer, aiming to make women feel safe and reduce gender-based atrocities.

After joining the IPS, Dr Singh continued her fight against gender bias and was subsequently featured in Forbes magazine for her efforts.

It is no surprise that Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis and State Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla selected Dr Singh to head the SIT formed to probe the Badlapur incident.

On Tuesday, the state government ordered the establishment of a SIT. With Singh's appointment as the head of the inquiry, many in the police and political circles believe the message is clear: the guilty will be brought to justice.