Maharashtra Education Minister Raises Concerns Over Missing CCTV Footage in Badlapur School Assault Case

GG News Bureau

Mumbai, 26^th August. Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar revealed on Monday that CCTV footage from the past 15 days is missing at the Badlapur school where two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted. An investigation is underway to determine how the footage disappeared and whether school officials were involved, as per an India Today report.

The case, involving a male attendant accused of sexually assaulting two 4-year-old girls in the school’s washroom on August 12 and 13, has led to widespread protests in Thane district. The FIR was filed on August 16, and the accused, Akshay Shinde, 23, was arrested the following day.

The incident has sparked outrage, particularly after it was discovered that the school failed to preserve the CCTV footage. Both the school administration and local police are under heavy scrutiny for their handling of the case. Kesarkar emphasized that the ongoing investigation will focus on the missing footage and any possible involvement of the school.

Last Friday, the Thane District Education Officer was suspended for failing to report the assault promptly. The Education Officer of BMC was also suspended for not installing CCTV cameras in civic schools, an issue Kesarkar said he had been pushing for over two years.