Shiv Sena(UBT) in ‘Saamana’: After Nasrapur convict sentenced to death, what next?

Mumbai, June 30 (IANS) The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Tuesday hailed the Special Court’s judgement sentencing the prime accused in the horrific Nasrapur minor assault and murder case to death. It has triggered a massive debate across the state regarding the breakdown of law and order and the growing atmosphere of insecurity for women and children in Maharashtra.

The Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, said that the verdict provides closure to the victim’s grieving parents; it exposes a larger, more systemic failure. While the ruling administration is expected to tout this case as a major achievement — highlighting how it was fast-tracked to deliver a conviction in just 58 days — the core issue remains unaddressed: Will crimes against women actually decrease?

The Thackeray camp has accused the current dispensation of being preoccupied with corruption, multi-crore scams, exam paper leaks, and political horse-trading, while failing to protect citizens.

The editorial said a series of shocking incidents across major cities highlights this growing crisis. “Once revered as the cultural and educational capital of the state, Pune has now gained notoriety for heinous crimes against women, dowry deaths, the menace of the ‘Koyta (machete) Gang’, brazen murders, and widespread hooliganism. Law and order has reportedly collapsed even in the Chief Minister’s home turf of Nagpur, where cries of victimised women go unheard,” it said.

The editorial further stated that in the Kasheli area of Bhiwandi, a seven-year-old girl was recently subjected to sexual assault. In Kolhapur, a four-year-old toddler was assaulted after being lured with chocolates. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, a residential building security guard attempted to molest young girls inside the society complex. The recent Badlapur case, where two minor girls were assaulted inside a reputable school’s premises, triggered a massive political and social storm. Two months ago, a predator attempted to assault two young girls in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. In Kalyan’s Kolshewadi, a 55-year-old man assaulted a minor girl, said the editorial.

The Thackeray camp has sharply called out the “political hypocrisy” of the current leadership. “The state government, which aggressively promotes welfare schemes like the ‘Ladki Bahin’ initiative to secure women’s votes, is completely abandoning these very women when it comes to actual physical security. Even daily commutes on Mumbai’s local trains have turned hazardous, with minor altercations frequently escalating into fatal stabbings.”

The editorial referred to the passage of a stringent “Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill” by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government back in 2020 to curb crimes against women. However, it has remained pending with the Central government for the last six years. “Over 23,000 cases of violence and murder involving minor children have been officially registered in Maharashtra in recent years, a number that is drastically higher if unregistered cases are factored in, proving that strict laws like POCSO have lost their deterrent effect on criminals,” said the editorial. While the judiciary has swiftly executed its duty in the Nasrapur case within two months, the ultimate accountability does not lie with the courts, noted the editorial.

“The crucial questions regarding state security cannot be answered by the judiciary. They must be answered by the state government and the Chief Minister, who holds the Home Ministry portfolio,” remarked the editorial.

“Can the ruling politicians, who have allowed a progressive and safe state like Maharashtra to slide into a dark alley stretching from Badlapur to Nasrapur, provide these answers? Only when women and young children can step out and breathe freely without fear will true justice be achieved. Until then, a single hanging remains just a temporary response to a permanent crisis, leaving the haunting question wide open: What next?” asked the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

–IANS

sj/dpb