THANE: Bombay high court will urgently hear on Wednesday a petition by the father of the accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case who was killed in a police encounter on Monday evening while being escorted by Thane crime branch officers, even as the post-mortem found a single bullet mark on the left side of the 24-year-old's head and listed the cause of death as 'haemorrhagic shock' and 'bleeding'.
Based on the account of the escorting team, Mumbra police registered two cases: an accidental death report and another of attempted murder against the deceased. Both will be handed over to CID, Maharashtra, on Wednesday.
Also read: Akshay Shinde's father moves HC, seeks SIT probe into 'fake encounter'Forensic teams inspected the PCR van and visited the scene near the Mumbra bypass. They collected blood samples and recovered four shell casings. In his plea before the HC, an advocate for the deceased's father sought urgent hearing saying evidence could be destroyed.
The former school janitor accused of sexually assaulting two nursery students had turned abusive and aggressive and threatened to kill the cops when he was being taken from Taloja jail to the Thane crime branch office. The central unit of Thane crime branch had taken his custody in an offence related to unnatural sex filed by his wife for probe. When assistant inspector Nilesh More alerted senior inspector Sanjay Shinde, he stopped near Mumbra and moved the accused to the rear seat in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. But the accused suddenly began shouting, "Why are you taking me back? What have I done now? Let me go." He snatched a gun and fired at them before being killed in retaliatory firing.
Also read: Shiv Sena leader announces Rs 51,000 reward for cop who gunned down Akshay ShindeMedical sources said a five-doctor team conducting the post-mortem at J J Hospital asked for a full-body X-ray to check for foreign bodies, but none was found. It is learned they collected samples after doing a saline handwash, mainly to check for residue. Authorities said the post-mortem was videographed and the body was handed over to Mumbra police around 5pm. Samples have been sent for forensic testing.
Around 6.15pm on Monday near the Mumbra bypass, as the accused was being transferred from Taloja Central Jail to the Thane crime branch under transit remand, he became increasingly aggressive, said statements made to the police.
Shinde in his statement (accessed by TOI) said the police team, comprising himself, API Nilesh More, and two constables, had taken custody of the accused at 5.30pm. The accused allegedly snatched PSI More's service pistol and fired three rounds, one of which struck More in the thigh. He then threatened to kill everyone in the vehicle and fired one round each at Shinde and a constable. In response, Shinde fired a single round from his service weapon.
API Nilesh More is currently receiving treatment for his injuries at Jupiter Hospital and is reported to be out of danger. The two other officers involved are said to be under significant stress following the incident but are taking treatment at a private hospital.
Relatives of the deceased accused, who were initially refusing to accept the body, were seen ready to take it from the hospital. The deceased's uncle told TOI that his relatives will reach the city by night and they would perform his last rites on Wednesday.
Police sources said in light of public anger against the deceased, they will request his family to perform his last rites at night. For this, on Tuesday, the local Badlapur police inspected two cremation grounds in Badlapur where the last rites can be performed under police protection.