Government plans to contest magistrate's report in Badlapur case

The Maharashtra government has informed the Bombay High Court that it wishes to challenge a magistrate's report related to the Badlapur sexual assault case. The report attributes responsibility for the death of a 24-year-old accused to five policemen. Public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar stated that the inquiry led by the magistrate was administrative and not judicial. Therefore, he argued that the five policemen should not have filed a revision application against the report. The state government had previously filed a petition against a Thane sessions court decision that temporarily put a hold on the findings of the magistrate's report. On Wednesday, Venegaonkar asked the High Court to allow the government to amend its petition to challenge all proceedings in the sessions court. Justice R N Laddha has permitted the amendment and issued notices to the five policemen. The case is scheduled for further hearing on May 7. The magistrate's report raised doubts about the policemen's claim that they acted in self-defense when they shot the accused, suggesting they could have controlled the situation without using lethal force. The accused was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls at a school where he worked. He died in an alleged police shootout on September 23, 2024, while being transported for questioning.