BJP appoints Badlapur sexual abuse case co-accused as councillor in Thane district

The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Tushar Apte, the past caput of a schoolhouse and a co-accused successful the Badlapur intersexual maltreatment case, arsenic a ‘co-opted’ councillor successful the Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council successful Thane district.

Council chairperson Ruchita Ghorpade has confirmed Mr. Apte’s appointment. He was greeted aft the process of selecting 5 co-opted councillors of the municipal assembly was completed connected Friday (January 9, 2026). Two among them were nominated by the BJP, 2 by the Shiv Sena, and 1 by the Nationalist Congress Party.

Besides Mr. Apte, different nominated councillors see Shagof Gore (BJP), Prabhakar Patil (NCP), and Dilip Baikar and Hemant Chature (Shiv Sena).

Mr. Apte, who was past the caput of the acquisition instauration wherever the alleged intersexual maltreatment occurred, was booked for allegedly failing to study the offence.

A lawsuit was registered against the schoolhouse absorption nether Section 21(2) of the POCSO Act for not filing a ailment successful a lawsuit of intersexual maltreatment of children.

Mr. Apte was arrested 44 days aft the incidental and granted bail wrong 48 hours. The lawsuit is presently sub judice.

Defending the decision, BJP councillor Rajan Ghorpade said Mr. Apte is simply a societal activistic and office-bearer of a reputed acquisition institution.

“Though helium was named arsenic an accused, his guilt has not been proven. The main accused has already been punished. Mr. Apte worked actively for the enactment and contributed to the enactment candidate’s victory, and therefore, helium was fixed this responsibility,” Mr. Ghorpade said.

The girls were allegedly sexually abused by Akshay Shinde connected the premises of the school, triggering monolithic protests by parents and citizens.

The main accused, Akshay Shinde (24), was arrested successful August 2024 for allegedly sexually assaulting 2 insignificant girls wrong the toilet of a schoolhouse successful Badlapur successful Thane district.

On September 23, helium was killed successful an alleged constabulary shootout portion being taken from Navi Mumbai’s Taloja situation for questioning. The constabulary claimed helium snatched the weapon of 1 of the cops successful the van, opened fire, and was killed successful retaliatory firing. The accused was being taken for questioning successful transportation with a lawsuit lodged against him by his wife.