Maharashtra forms judicial commission to probe Akshay Shinde encounter | Bombay News

Mumbai: Days after backing Thane police’s decision to kill Akshay Shinde, the accused arrested in the Badlapur sexual assault case, in “retaliation”, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday constituted a judicial commission to to investigate this matter.

The commission will be headed by Justice Dilip Bhosale, former chief justice of the Allahabad high court. Justice Bhosale is also heading a commission of inquiry into the Ghatkopar stockade collapse in May 2024, in which 17 people were killed and several others injured.

According to a notification issued by the state government, the commission will investigate whether any individual, group or organization was directly or indirectly responsible for the September 23 encounter. It will also investigate the steps taken by the police to handle the situation and carry out a detailed review of all aspects relating to the incident.

Justice Bhosale will have to suggest short-term and long-term measures to be taken by the police to prevent recurrence of such incidents. He has three months to complete his investigation. The state government has taken cognizance of the matter and found it necessary to investigate the exact sequence and cause of events that led to the police encounter, a senior government official said.

The decision to set up a judicial commission just weeks before the Maharashtra assembly elections assumes great significance. This comes days after opposition parties criticized the state government and questioned the police’s version of what happened in the encounter. Last week, the Bombay High Court also cast serious doubts on Thane police’s claims that Shinde, a layman who was not physically strong, grabbed a policeman’s pistol, unlocked it and opened fire before being shot. The court insisted that the investigation into this meeting be impartial and thorough.

Shinde’s father, Anna Shinde, filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking that a special investigation team be constituted to probe the encounter, which he claimed was a cold-blooded murder committed by people in uniform.