Mumbai

In response to the recent rape case involving two nursery girls at a Badlapur school, the Maharashtra government has appointed an Administrator to oversee the institution, as announced by State Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Wednesday. The move comes after the alleged incident, reportedly involving a contractual sweeper named Akshay Shinde, sparked widespread outrage and political tension.

Kesarkar confirmed that the school’s management has been taken over by the Administrator, who is set to begin their role within the next day. He assured that the school’s operations will continue as normal under the new administration.

The incident, which occurred on August 12-13, has led to intense public protests and criticism of the MahaYuti government, particularly in the context of upcoming state Assembly elections. In response to growing public and political pressure, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has called for a state-wide shutdown on August 24 and organized protests to address what they see as a breakdown in law and order.

In an effort to address the situation, the MahaYuti government has taken several actions, including appointing Ujjwal Nikam as the Special Public Prosecutor, ordering a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, suspending three police officials, and making other decisions to appease the public. Senior leaders, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, have promised severe punishment for the accused. Meanwhile, SS(UBT) leader Sushma Andhare has demanded a detailed report on the law-and-order situation, and Kishore Tiwari has called for the resignation of the MahaYuti government.