They have created a horrific situation for their own political gain: Akshay Shinde’s father
Akshay Shinde’s family finds no closure in having him shot dead by the police without allowing for a fair trial.
Mumbai: Akshay’s distraught father, 50-year-old Anna Shinde, said he had never imagined he would face such a situation. “After Akshay was arrested on August 17, my other son lost his job,” he said. “On August 20, people broke down our house and beat us all up, including my old mother, forcing us to flee from Badlapur. We slept at railway stations, bus stands and even on the footpath among homeless persons, as nobody, not even my brother, was willing to give us shelter. For a few days, we worked as ragpickers, which helped us get at least one meal a day, till my brother finally summoned the courage to take us in.”
Anna said he was haunted by the events every night. “The trauma we have faced is unimaginable,” he said. “They have created a horrific situation for their own political gain. It would have been more just if Akshay had been declared guilty and sentenced to death. At least then we could have got some closure. His killing sends a troubling message to all poor people.”
Anna Shinde said that the family faced obstacles on Saturday in securing burial sites due to flooding. “The police then took us to Ambarnath to find a location,” he said. “However, officials refused to meet us and later issued a statement saying that due to political pressure, they could not provide us with land. Is this fair? Without even framing charges against him, everyone has presumed my son guilty and are now denying him the basic right of a decent burial.”