20 August,2024 03:38 PM IST | Badlapur | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Locals protest at Badlapur station in Maharashtra.
Locals blocked the tracks of Badlapur railway station on Tuesday to protest against the sexual assault of two children, aged four, by a 23-year-old attendant in their school's washroom. The rail roko agitation at Badlapur railway station led to disruptions in train services during the morning rush hour. According to railway officials, the public agitation at Badlapur railway station disrupted local train services between Ambarnath and Karjat on both Up and Down lines.
Citizens supported by political parties in Maharashtra called for a Badlapur bandh on Tuesday. Some autorickshaw unions and school bus operators are also supporting the bandh. The incident has raised serious concerns about student safety and school management practices in Badlapur as the institute is a well-known one.
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After the incident came to light, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi took to X and wrote: "Two young girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur, Maharashtra in the school premises; the entire state is outraged and seeks justice. I once again urge the @rashtrapatibhvn to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law , no other child or woman face this travesty. Shame on the state government to continue to ignore the safety of women."
She added, "These were nursery going girls, this incident happened in school premises. Sick perverts in our society want women to dress in a ‘decent way', to step out during ‘safe hours' and work in‘ safe zones' , take charge of their ‘own safety' what would youll say to this?"
The police said the incident came to light after one of the kids revealed it to her parents. When her parents spoke to the other child's family, they said their daughter was scared of going to school. The parents of the both the kids then approached the police, where a case was filed against the accused. The police said they have arrested him.
According to the police, there is no female attendant at female washrooms. They have also alleged that the school does not have CCTV cameras and lacks safety measures for kids.
After mass protests, the Maharashtra government ordered the formation of a special investigation team to probe the case.
