Badlapur sexual assault case whistleblower joins NCP

A woman whistleblower who exposed the Badlapur school sexual assault case has joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the civic polls in Maharashtra.

Sangeeta Chendvankar, who formerly led the women’s wing of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Badlapur, was inducted into the NCP at a function in the town on Tuesday (January 6, 2026).

Elections to various municipal corporations in the state are scheduled on January 15, 2026.

Ms. Chendvankar gained prominence in August 2024 as the primary whistleblower in the Badlapur school case, where two 4-year-old girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by a contractual sweeper.

She had played a key role in mobilising the parents and ensuring the matter reached the police and the public.

Ms. Chendvankar later contested the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls from Murbad constituency in Thane district on the MNS ticket but faced defeat.

Speaking to reporters after joining the NCP on Tuesday (January 6, 2026), Ms. Chendvankar said, “I wanted to serve the citizens in the best possible manner, which I felt I could not do to my satisfaction recently. I chose the NCP family where I believe I can perform better.”

Welcoming her, local NCP functionary Ashish Damle described her as a “Ranaragini” (warrior woman) of Badlapur.

“Sangeeta has consistently fought against injustice and taken up critical citizen issues. Her entry is a major asset to our party as we work towards the town’s development as a team,” Mr. Damle told PTI.