Maharashtra: SIT formed for probe into death of IITB student
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) headed by a senior police officer to conduct a probe into the alleged suicide of an 18-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, a police official said on Tuesday.
Darshan Solanki, who hailed from Ahmedabad in Gujarat and was a first-year student of B Tech (Chemical) course at the IITB, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the campus on February 12.
His family had claimed he faced discrimination at the IITB for belonging to a Scheduled Caste community and suspected foul play in his death.
Gujarat Congress MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani had demanded a probe by the SIT into Solanki's death, terming the episode as "suspicious".
On February 24, the government had ordered a probe into Solanki's death, the official said.
The SIT, headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Lakhmi Gautam, will revisit the case and record the statements of Solanki's parents, officials of the institute and students who were witness to the incident, he said.
It will also conduct a probe into the allegations made by various student groups that Solanki faced caste discrimination, he said.
After Solanki's death, the Powai police here had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and recorded the statements of multiple people, including IITB students.
"Now, the SIT will conduct a probe into the case," the official added.
A Mumbai Police team on February 16 visited Gujarat to record the statements of Solanki's parents.
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Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde shot dead: Lawyer of minor girls calls it 'killing of justice'
Mumbai (PTI): The gunning down of Badlapur case accused Akshay Shinde on Monday was the "killing of justice", said Asim Sarode, lawyer for the two minor girls he allegedly sexually assaulted.
Shinde was killed near Mumbra Bypass around 6:15pm when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife.
After he shot and injured an API, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.
"While representing the two minor girls, I noticed it was becoming uncomfortable for the local politics of the Thane district and even for the educational institution where Akshay Shinde was working. Shinde's death in such a manner is killing of justice," Sarode told a regional news channel.
"Now, the case of sexual assault of the two minor girls will get sidelined. The case of these two minor girls was becoming difficult for the educational institute, as it is affiliated with a certain political family. Such a practice would lower the confidence of people in police and the judiciary," he claimed.
Sarode said he will be filing a plea before the Bombay High Court demanding thorough inquiry into the firing incident.
"Shinde's case could have brought up certain aspects that would have been negative politically for the government. I wonder how Shinde could access the gun and how he could unlock it when his hands were tied. This is political murder and is absolutely wrong," he said.
