Police Custody Extended for Badlapur School Abuse Suspect Amid Protests

A local court has extended police custody until August 26 for a school attendant in Badlapur, Maharashtra, accused of sexually abusing two girls. Protests erupted following his arrest on August 17, leading to violence and internet suspension. The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident.

A local court on Wednesday extended till August 26 the police custody of the man arrested for allegedly sexually abusing two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra's Thane district. The accused, who was employed as an attendant at the school where the incident took place last week, was produced before a magistrate at Kalyan in the district this morning amid tight police security.

The court ordered the extension of his police custody till August 26, following which he was taken away by the police in a van, a senior official said.

The police had arrested the accused on August 17. As per the complaint, he abused two kindergarten girls in the toilet of the school, the police have said.

A massive protest broke out on Tuesday after parents of the school children and local citizens blocked railway tracks at Badlapur station and ransacked a local school building to protest against the incident and to demand strict punishment for the accused. Following the protest, the Maharashtra government announced formation of a special investigation team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh to probe the incident. Internet services in Badlapur town have been suspended in the wake of the protest and violence. At least 25 police personnel were injured in stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur on Tuesday and the police have arrested at least 72 persons in connection with the violence.

(With inputs from agencies.)