A man arrested for raping two girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur, Akshay Shinde, was shot dead by police on Monday after he snatched an officer’s weapon and opened fire at the cops. Two police officials were also injured in the incident.

According to the police, the accused, Shinde, snatched a weapon from an officer and opened fire while he was being transported from jail in a police vehicle at around 5.30 pm. Several rounds of gunfire took place, during which police officers were also injured.

Cops opened retaliatory fire on Shinde, who was being taken to Badlapur from Taloja jail for investigation, officials added. He was critically injured in the firing, and later died in hospital.

Shinde was arrested on August 17 for sexually abusing two girls, aged four and five, in a school toilet five days earlier. The incident sparked massive outrage amid protests held in the area. Shinde worked as a cleaner at the school.

The local police were initially probing the case, but the Maharashtra government set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) following a public outcry over serious lapses in the police investigation.

A case has also been registered against the chairman and secretary of the school under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for not reporting the incident to the police immediately and for negligence. On Monday, the duo moved the Bombay High Court seeking pre-arrest bail.

In August, the Bombay High Court stepped in on its own to take notice of the case and is now overseeing the investigation.

Source: India Today