Bombay High Court Criticizes SIT in Alleged Fake Encounter Case

The Bombay High Court criticized the crime branch's Special Investigation Team for not registering an FIR against five policemen involved in the alleged encounter killing of Akshay Shinde, accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case. The court emphasized the urgency of registering the FIR by May 3.

The Bombay High Court has voiced strong disapproval of the crime branch's Special Investigation Team (SIT) for not filing an FIR against five policemen following the alleged encounter killing of Akshay Shinde. The accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, Shinde, was shot dead while being escorted in a police van.

Despite a directive from the court on April 7, the FIR had not been filed. Public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar assured the court that the FIR would be registered by May 3, following sharp comments from the bench, comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale, about the SIT's non-compliance.

The court's criticism comes in the wake of contradictory claims regarding the encounter, with Shinde's parents alleging it was a fake encounter—an assertion supported by a magistrate's inquiry report indicting the police officers involved.

(With inputs from agencies.)