Badlapur Encounter: Accused Akshay Shinde Shot Dead by Police After Snatching Gun
Mumbai: Akshay Shinde, the man accused of sexually assaulting two 4-year-old girls at a school in Badlapur, was shot dead by police during an encounter. The incident occurred when Shinde reportedly grabbed a policeman’s gun and fired two shots at him.
According to the Thane Police, Shinde sustained fatal injuries from retaliatory fire after he seized the weapon of Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More while being transported from Taloja jail to Badlapur for further investigation. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
The senior police officer stated, “As the police vehicle approached the Mumbra Bypass, Shinde managed to snatch the pistol from Inspector More and opened fire, injuring the officer’s leg.”
In response to Shinde’s sudden attack, another officer in the vehicle fired three shots at him, all of which struck Shinde in the upper body. The 24-year-old was subsequently taken to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, where he was declared dead.
Shinde had been taken into custody around 5:30 PM from Taloja jail, escorted by a team of about ten officers, including three armed personnel seated next to him.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated, “His ex-wife has lodged a complaint of sexual assault. The police had a warrant and were transporting him for questioning when he snatched the police gun and fired at the officers and into the air. Preliminary information suggests he has died.”
Fadnavis emphasized the justification for police action: “If he attacked the police, wouldn’t they act in self-defense? It’s incorrect to question their response.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde added, “He fired at police officer Nilesh More, who has been injured and hospitalized. The police acted in self-defense, and further information will emerge as the investigation continues.”