Badlapur sexual assault case: SIT to conduct identification parade of accused

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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) announced on Tuesday that it will conduct an identification parade of the Badlapur sexual assault case accused. The parade will take place in the presence of the Executive Magistrate, during which the victims will identify the suspects, reported ANI.

Following the identification, the SIT will prepare a psychological profile of the accused to aid in the ongoing investigation.

On 23 August, the SIT registered a first information report (FIR) against the school authorities involved in the Badlapur sexual assault case, citing non-compliance with Section 19 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. This section requires all authorities to report any known instances of sexual assault against minors to the police for appropriate action.

Under the leadership of the Deputy Director of Mumbai region, the investigation team has been examining the Badlapur sexual assault case, with input from various departments.

Notably, a report on the Badlapur case, prepared by the Women and Child Welfare Department and the Education Ministry, was submitted to state Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Monday.

Kesarkar earlier revealed that the school's CCTV footage from the past 15 days is missing.

"The CCTV footage of the last 15 days is missing from the school. It is crucial to investigate why the footage is missing and what the motive behind this might be," he said, suggesting the installation of panic buttons in schools, similar to CCTVs.

"Just like CCTVs, panic buttons can be installed... Panic buttons can also be added in hostels. It is an advanced technology," Kesarkar said during a press conference in Mumbai.

On Monday, the accused in the sexual assault case were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by the Kalyan Court.

Meanwhile, following the sexual assault case in Badlapur, which sparked massive protests, there has been a significant surge in POCSO cases registered in Mumbai. Since August 20, nearly a dozen POCSO cases have been reported daily in the city. Before the Badlapur incident, only three to four cases were reported each day. This dramatic increase is attributed to heightened awareness efforts by the police, who are actively encouraging citizens to report incidents of sexual abuse and assault.

(With ANI inputs)