Six days after Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur child sexual assault case, was killed by the police during a scuffle in the vehicle transporting him from a jail, his final rites were performed on Sunday evening under heavy police security at a Ulhasnagar cemetery. 

For the funeral, police had to cordon off the cemetery, close the gates, and detain 34 people, including Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and BJP workers, who had arrived at the crematorium in Shantinagar area to oppose the burial there. The body had been kept in a morgue at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa.

Shinde was accused of sexually assaulting two four-year-old girls in a school in Badlapur. Police have said that Shinde was killed by them in self defence when he snatched a pistol from one of the policeman escorting him and fired at them. A team from Thane Crime Branch were transported him from Taloja jail to Thane last Monday for investigation into an unnatural sex case filed by his second wife in Boisar.

DCP Sudhakar Pathare of Ulhasnagar police said they had sent a letter to Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation for space for Shinde's burial after opposition from people in Kalyan and Ambarnath to a burial in their area. Police had sent a JCB to the cemetery to dig the grave. As news spread about Shinde's body being buried in Ulhasnagar, hundreds of residents and Shiv Sena leader from Ulhasnagar, Rajendra Chaudhary, and his workers arrived at the spot around 1.30pm. They opposed performing final rites in their cities and chanted that the body should not be buried in the city. 

The few police officers tried to control the situation but failed. Consequently, the police alerted a senior cop around 2:30 PM. As a result, 100 police personnel from the six to seven police station rushed to the spot and tried to handle the situation. Police cordoned off the crematorium and closed three of its gates. Police sources said that as the body was brought in an ambulance, BJP leader Pradeep Ramdandani from Ulhasnagar and his workers obstructed the vehicle. The police force arrived at the spot, removed them, and entered the crematorium around 5:30 PM.

Senior Police Inspector, Shankar Awatade, Central Police in Ulhasnagar, said that they have detained thirty-four people, including Chaudhary and Ramdandani. They were all taken to the police station and detained for two hours.

Speaking to the media, Chaudhary said, “We will not bury Shinde's body in the holy land of Ulhasnagar because Shinde was accused of assaulting two four-year-old girls in a school in Badlapur. The entire Badlapur and Ambernath residents condemned Shinde's act, and we also condemn it. He will not be given space in our holy crematorium in Ulhasnagar.'

Additional Commissioner of Police Sanjay Jadhav from Kalyan division confirmed that the final rites of Akshay Shinde were performed in the presence of his family members, relatives, and police security in Ulhasnagar.

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the police to identify a secluded spot for the burial. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and M M Sathaye said once the spot is identified, the police shall inform Shinde’s family members about it so that the burial can be done.The HC rejected the contention of the prosecution that there is no custom of burying bodies in Shinde’s community, calling it his parents’ choice. Shinde’s father on Friday moved an urgent application seeking a burial spot for his son. The father claimed that they were unable to find a burial ground for Shinde. It was decided to bury the body and not cremate it as the body could be available for investigation later.

Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar told the court that burial grounds in Badlapur and neighbouring areas have refused and opposed the burial of Shinde. The police would take steps to identify a secluded spot for the burial, Venegaonkar told the court.

He added that the police will also ensure that no untoward incident occurs. “The family will be informed about the same. But they need not make an event out of it. Let them do it silently. The family members will be taken (to burial spot) with police staff,” Venegaonkar said.

The bench accepted this statement and posted the matter for hearing on September 30. Shinde's father had filed a petition in the high court claiming that his son was killed in a fake encounter and sought an HC-monitored probe into his death.