Mira Road: In a significant development in the controversial Badlapur encounter case, the Maharashtra director general of police Rashmi Shukla, has appointed a new special investigation team (SIT) under the leadership of IPS officer Dattatray Shinde.

Currently serving as additional commissioner of the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police, Shinde will head the reconstituted team tasked with probing the custodial death of Akshay Shinde on September 23 last year.

The Supreme Court, in a recent order, directed the formation of a fresh SIT and clarified that no new FIR was necessary for the investigation to proceed, reaffirming the legal sufficiency of the initial FIR filed at Mumbra police station. The apex court’s move came in response to challenges to the initial probe and concerns over impartiality.

The selection of Dattatray Shinde as SIT chief is seen as a strategic decision. A DIG-rank officer, Shinde previously served as additional commissioner (east region), Thane—an experience that lends him crucial insights into the region’s policing dynamics. His familiarity with the local terrain, coupled with his extensive background in sensitive case handling, is expected to bring a sharper investigative edge to the case.

Shinde will be supported by a handpicked team of officers from both MBVV and the Navi Mumbai police commissionerate. MBVV ACP Umesh Mane, along with four other officers, is part of the team.

The case has been fraught with controversy since the fatal shooting of Akshay Shinde, who was in police custody at the time. Initial reports claimed Shinde attempted to fire at officers, prompting retaliatory action. The Mumbra police subsequently filed an FIR against the deceased under charges of attempted murder.

Shinde’s family petitioned the Bombay High Court, alleging a custodial killing and demanding a fresh FIR and an independent probe. A subsequent magisterial inquiry cast serious doubt on the police’s self-defence claim, further intensifying calls for accountability.

The High Court had earlier ordered the formation of an SIT under the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mumbai, but this directive was challenged by the state government in the Supreme Court. The apex court’s final ruling placed the responsibility squarely with DGP Rashmi Shukla.