News Analysis India

Tag: Bombay High Court

  • Bombay HC acquits ex-DU professor G N Saibaba in Maoist links case

    By PTI

    NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday acquitted former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba in an alleged Maoist links case, and ordered his immediate release from jail.

    A division bench of Justice Rohit Deo and Anil Pansare allowed the appeal filed by Saibaba challenging a 2017 order of the trial court convicting him and sentencing him to life imprisonment.

    Saibaba, who is wheelchair-bound due to a physical disability, is currently lodged at the Nagpur central prison.

    The bench also allowed the appeal of five other convicts in the case and acquitted them. One of the five died pending hearing of the appeal.

    The bench directed for the convicts to be released forthwith from jail unless they are accused in any other case.

    In March 2017, a sessions court in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district had convicted Saibaba and others, including a journalist and a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student for alleged Maoist links and for indulging in activities amounting to waging war against the country.

    The court had held Saibaba and the others guilty under various provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

    NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday acquitted former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba in an alleged Maoist links case, and ordered his immediate release from jail.

    A division bench of Justice Rohit Deo and Anil Pansare allowed the appeal filed by Saibaba challenging a 2017 order of the trial court convicting him and sentencing him to life imprisonment.

    Saibaba, who is wheelchair-bound due to a physical disability, is currently lodged at the Nagpur central prison.

    The bench also allowed the appeal of five other convicts in the case and acquitted them. One of the five died pending hearing of the appeal.

    The bench directed for the convicts to be released forthwith from jail unless they are accused in any other case.

    In March 2017, a sessions court in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district had convicted Saibaba and others, including a journalist and a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student for alleged Maoist links and for indulging in activities amounting to waging war against the country.

    The court had held Saibaba and the others guilty under various provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

  • Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case: Bombay HC refuses to grant bail to DU professor Hany Babu

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea filed by Delhi University’s associate professor Hany Babu, who is an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

    A division bench of Justices N M Jamdar and N R Borkar said the appeal filed by Babu against the special court order refusing him bail was dismissed.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting a probe into the case, has accused Babu of being a co-conspirator in propagating Maoist activities and ideology on the instructions of leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation.

    Hany Babu was arrested in July 2020 in the case and is currently lodged at the Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

    The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave, held in Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017, which police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial located on the city’s outskirts.

    ALSO READ | Bhima Koregaon case: Pune cop planted evidence in devices of jailed activists, says report

    One person was killed and several others were injured in the violence.

    The case, in which over a dozen activists and academicians had been named accused, was initially probed by the Pune police and later taken over by the NIA.

    Hany Babu approached the HC in June this year, challenging an order of the special NIA court here which rejected his bail plea earlier this year.

    Babu in his plea said the special court had “erred” in holding that there existed prima facie incriminating material against him.

    In his petition filed through advocates Yug Chaudhary and Payoshi Roy, Babu said while the NIA had cited a letter speaking of a conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi as evidence in the case, the alleged letter did not incriminate him.

    There existed no evidence to even suggest that he intended to or supported activities to cause disaffection against India, the plea said.

    The NIA had opposed the bail plea, arguing that Babu actively participated in activities to promote Naxalism and wanted to overthrow the government.

    READ HERE | Elgar case: Arrested activists being systematically denied medical treatment, claim family members

    Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh, appearing for the NIA, had claimed Babu was a member of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist) and the prosecution seized material from his laptop to show he was in constant contact with other accused in the case.

    Hany Babu wanted to promote and expand Naxalism and was part of the conspiracy to wage a war against India by overthrowing the elected government, Singh said.

    He along with others wanted to set up “Janata Sarkar” i.e. people’s government by arms struggle, Singh had told the court.

    The ASG had also argued that Babu used to train other members of the outfit on how to avoid phone tapping.

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea filed by Delhi University’s associate professor Hany Babu, who is an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

    A division bench of Justices N M Jamdar and N R Borkar said the appeal filed by Babu against the special court order refusing him bail was dismissed.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting a probe into the case, has accused Babu of being a co-conspirator in propagating Maoist activities and ideology on the instructions of leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation.

    Hany Babu was arrested in July 2020 in the case and is currently lodged at the Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

    The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave, held in Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017, which police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial located on the city’s outskirts.

    ALSO READ | Bhima Koregaon case: Pune cop planted evidence in devices of jailed activists, says report

    One person was killed and several others were injured in the violence.

    The case, in which over a dozen activists and academicians had been named accused, was initially probed by the Pune police and later taken over by the NIA.

    Hany Babu approached the HC in June this year, challenging an order of the special NIA court here which rejected his bail plea earlier this year.

    Babu in his plea said the special court had “erred” in holding that there existed prima facie incriminating material against him.

    In his petition filed through advocates Yug Chaudhary and Payoshi Roy, Babu said while the NIA had cited a letter speaking of a conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi as evidence in the case, the alleged letter did not incriminate him.

    There existed no evidence to even suggest that he intended to or supported activities to cause disaffection against India, the plea said.

    The NIA had opposed the bail plea, arguing that Babu actively participated in activities to promote Naxalism and wanted to overthrow the government.

    READ HERE | Elgar case: Arrested activists being systematically denied medical treatment, claim family members

    Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh, appearing for the NIA, had claimed Babu was a member of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist) and the prosecution seized material from his laptop to show he was in constant contact with other accused in the case.

    Hany Babu wanted to promote and expand Naxalism and was part of the conspiracy to wage a war against India by overthrowing the elected government, Singh said.

    He along with others wanted to set up “Janata Sarkar” i.e. people’s government by arms struggle, Singh had told the court.

    The ASG had also argued that Babu used to train other members of the outfit on how to avoid phone tapping.

  • Social media posts on Sharad Pawar: Bombay HC clubs FIRs against actor Ketaki, student Nikhil

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday clubbed all the FIRs lodged against Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale and student Nikhil Bhamre, accused of uploading defamatory posts against NCP president Sharad Pawar, at the police station where the first case was lodged against them.

    There are 22 FIRs registered against Chitale and six against Bhamre, a resident of Nashik.

    With the HC order, all the FIRs against Chitale have now been clubbed with the first FIR lodged against her at Kalwa police station in neighbouring Thane district.

    All FIRs against Bhamre would now be clubbed at Naupada police station in Thane.

    A division bench of Justices N M Jamdar and N R Borkar took note of a Supreme Court order which said when there are multiple FIRs, then the first case lodged can be considered as the main FIR and the remaining cases can be considered as witness statements in the first FIR.

    The bench also directed the Maharashtra government and all complainants in the case to file their affidavits, replying to other prayers made in the petitions filed by Chitale and Bhamre seeking compensation for wrongful arrest and for their arrest to be declared as illegal.

    “What is the state government’s stand on these prayers made in the petition? Both the government and the complainants shall file their affidavits,” the court said while posting the matter for further hearing on September 6.

    Chitale and Bhamre was arrested in May this year and released on bail in June.

    Chitale had been arrested sharing on Facebook a Marathi verse, which allegedly referred to NCP chief Sharad Pawar in a derogatory way.

    Bhamre was arrested for an alleged objectionable tweet against Pawar.

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday clubbed all the FIRs lodged against Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale and student Nikhil Bhamre, accused of uploading defamatory posts against NCP president Sharad Pawar, at the police station where the first case was lodged against them.

    There are 22 FIRs registered against Chitale and six against Bhamre, a resident of Nashik.

    With the HC order, all the FIRs against Chitale have now been clubbed with the first FIR lodged against her at Kalwa police station in neighbouring Thane district.

    All FIRs against Bhamre would now be clubbed at Naupada police station in Thane.

    A division bench of Justices N M Jamdar and N R Borkar took note of a Supreme Court order which said when there are multiple FIRs, then the first case lodged can be considered as the main FIR and the remaining cases can be considered as witness statements in the first FIR.

    The bench also directed the Maharashtra government and all complainants in the case to file their affidavits, replying to other prayers made in the petitions filed by Chitale and Bhamre seeking compensation for wrongful arrest and for their arrest to be declared as illegal.

    “What is the state government’s stand on these prayers made in the petition? Both the government and the complainants shall file their affidavits,” the court said while posting the matter for further hearing on September 6.

    Chitale and Bhamre was arrested in May this year and released on bail in June.

    Chitale had been arrested sharing on Facebook a Marathi verse, which allegedly referred to NCP chief Sharad Pawar in a derogatory way.

    Bhamre was arrested for an alleged objectionable tweet against Pawar.

  • Bombay HC expresses concern over tribal woman losing infant twins as road to medical facility not available

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the incident in Maharashtra’s Palghar district wherein a tribal woman lost twins after delivery as she could not reach a health centre in time in the absence of a proper road.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) filed in the year 2006 highlighting the high numbers of deaths of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers due to malnutrition in the Melghat region of east Maharashtra.

    On Monday, a 26-year-old tribal woman from Mokhada in Palghar district, 155 km from Mumbai, had to be carried in a makeshift stretcher to a medical centre.

    The woman, who was seven months pregnant, went into labour prematurely.

    She was later brought to the Khodala PHC (public health centre) in an ambulance from the main road.

    She gave birth to stillborn twins.

    On Wednesday, the bench noted that it was concerned about the fact that the number of deaths of children, pregnant women and cases of stillbirths is not decreasing.

    “We read in newspapers today about the Palghar incident. The woman was taken to the hospital in a makeshift ‘Palki’ (stretcher) and by the time she reached the hospital the babies were dead,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    “This is in Palghar. We have been hearing this matter since the year 2006 and now we are in 2022. It has been 16 years. This court has been passing directions from time to time,” he added.

    One of the petitioners, Bandya Sane, told the high court that in tribal regions, basic medical facilities are still not available.

    He added that doctors who are appointed by the government to serve in these areas do not report to duty.

    Government pleader P P Kakade told the high court that if doctors do not report to the areas assigned to them then a notice would be issued to them.

    And if they fail to respond, the doctors will be removed from service.

    The bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 12.

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the incident in Maharashtra’s Palghar district wherein a tribal woman lost twins after delivery as she could not reach a health centre in time in the absence of a proper road.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) filed in the year 2006 highlighting the high numbers of deaths of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers due to malnutrition in the Melghat region of east Maharashtra.

    On Monday, a 26-year-old tribal woman from Mokhada in Palghar district, 155 km from Mumbai, had to be carried in a makeshift stretcher to a medical centre.

    The woman, who was seven months pregnant, went into labour prematurely.

    She was later brought to the Khodala PHC (public health centre) in an ambulance from the main road.

    She gave birth to stillborn twins.

    On Wednesday, the bench noted that it was concerned about the fact that the number of deaths of children, pregnant women and cases of stillbirths is not decreasing.

    “We read in newspapers today about the Palghar incident. The woman was taken to the hospital in a makeshift ‘Palki’ (stretcher) and by the time she reached the hospital the babies were dead,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    “This is in Palghar. We have been hearing this matter since the year 2006 and now we are in 2022. It has been 16 years. This court has been passing directions from time to time,” he added.

    One of the petitioners, Bandya Sane, told the high court that in tribal regions, basic medical facilities are still not available.

    He added that doctors who are appointed by the government to serve in these areas do not report to duty.

    Government pleader P P Kakade told the high court that if doctors do not report to the areas assigned to them then a notice would be issued to them.

    And if they fail to respond, the doctors will be removed from service.

    The bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 12.

  • Illegal hoardings cannot come up without encouragement by political leaders, says HC

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said that without the encouragement of political leaders no one would be putting up hoardings, many of which are illegal.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik noted that at least one leader should say that they don’t want these hoardings.

    It also asked the authorities to “nip the problem in the bud” by not allowing such hoardings be put up in the first place.

    The bench was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) on the issue of illegal banners, hoardings and posters put up by the political parties across the state, which according to the pleas defaced public places.

    In 2016, the high court had directed the state government and all municipal corporations to ensure that no illegal hoardings are put up in public places and had directed the authorities to submit compliance reports.

    On Thursday, additional government pleader Bhupesh Samant told the court that while there is an intent to address the issue, there was lack of manpower to take action. The bench then said that political leaders ought to take up the issue.

    “Do you think that without the encouragement of their leaders they would be putting up these hoardings. Let one leader say that they don’t want these hoardings,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    The bench further said that the authorities should nip the problem in the bud. “This is why we are saying nip the problem in the bud. Why do you (authorities) let them (hoardings) come up in the first place?” the court said. The bench placed the matter for further hearing on July 28.

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said that without the encouragement of political leaders no one would be putting up hoardings, many of which are illegal.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik noted that at least one leader should say that they don’t want these hoardings.

    It also asked the authorities to “nip the problem in the bud” by not allowing such hoardings be put up in the first place.

    The bench was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) on the issue of illegal banners, hoardings and posters put up by the political parties across the state, which according to the pleas defaced public places.

    In 2016, the high court had directed the state government and all municipal corporations to ensure that no illegal hoardings are put up in public places and had directed the authorities to submit compliance reports.

    On Thursday, additional government pleader Bhupesh Samant told the court that while there is an intent to address the issue, there was lack of manpower to take action. The bench then said that political leaders ought to take up the issue.

    “Do you think that without the encouragement of their leaders they would be putting up these hoardings. Let one leader say that they don’t want these hoardings,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    The bench further said that the authorities should nip the problem in the bud. “This is why we are saying nip the problem in the bud. Why do you (authorities) let them (hoardings) come up in the first place?” the court said. The bench placed the matter for further hearing on July 28.

  • Sheena Bora murder case: Bombay HC grants bail to Indrani Mukerjea’s ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Sanjeev Khanna, the former husband of Indrani Mukerjea, arrested in the Sheena Bora murder case. A single bench of Justice Bharati Dangre directed Khanna to furnish a surety of Rs 1 lakh, his advocate Shreyansh Mithare said.

    The co-accused in the case – Indrani and her former husband Peter Mukerjea – are also out on bail. The high court had granted bail to Peter in 2020, while the Supreme Court gave relief to Indrani last month. Sheena Bora (24) was allegedly strangled to death in a car by Indrani, her then driver Shyamvar Rai and Khanna in April 2012.

    Bora was born out of Indrani’s previous relationship. Her body was burnt and dumped in a forest in neighbouring Raigad district. Khanna is accused of conspiring and partaking with the prime accused Indrani in the murder.

    He was arrested in 2015 and has been in jail since then.

  • SC stays Bombay HC order asking insurance firm to compensate farmers for crop loss under PMFB

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has stayed a Bombay High Court order which had asked Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd. to compensate over 3.5 lakh farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for loss of soya bean crop due to heavy rainfall in 2020.

    However, a Supreme Court vacation bench comprising justices JK Maheshwari and Hima Kohli asked the insurance company to deposit Rs 200 crore with its registry within a period of six weeks from June 16.

    In a major relief to soya bean farmers of Osmanabad district of Maharashtra who had suffered crop loss due to heavy rainfall in the Kharif season of 2020, the Bombay High Court circuit bench in Aurangabad recently directed the insurance company to compensate them.

    The insurance firm was represented in the Supreme Court by senior advocate Vivek Tankha and other lawyers including Tanvi Dubey.

    While issuing notice on the appeal of the insurance firm, the SC bench, on June 16, said, “In the meantime, there will be a stay of operation of the impugned judgment subject to the petitioner depositing an amount of Rs 200 crore with the Registry of this Court within a period of six weeks from today, as requested. The amount deposited shall be invested in an interest bearing fixed deposit in a nationalised bank until further orders.”

    In the event the amount is not deposited within six weeks, the order of stay shall stand automatically vacated without further reference to the court, it ordered. The bench directed the petitioner farmers and the state government to file their replies within six weeks.

    The high court, while directing the insurance firm to compensate the farmers, had said that if the company failed to pay then the state government should compensate the farmers for the crop loss. “If the amount is not paid by the insurance company… the state government is directed to pay such claim for compensation for post-harvest loss caused to the soybean crop in Kharif season 2020 to remaining 3,57,287 agriculturists of Osmanabad district within a period of six weeks thereafter,” the high court had said.

    The high court order had come on a batch of petitions of the farmers challenging the refusal of their insurance coverage for their post-harvesting losses. The farmers had submitted that they had paid premiums for insurance coverage of their crops.

    The high court was also informed that the insurance company received over Rs 500 crore as premium under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana from farmers in Osmanabad.

  • Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik move HC seeking release from jail to vote in MLC polls; CBI opposes move

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Jailed NCP legislators Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh on Monday approached the Bombay High Court seeking to be released from prison for a day on June 20 to cast their vote in elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

    Deshmukh and Malik, both members of the Legislative Assembly, could not cast their vote in the Rajya Sabha elections held on June 10 after a special court refused to release them to take part in the poll process.

    The duo has now sought to be released from jail for one day on June 20 to vote in MLC elections.

    Deshmukh, a former home minister of Maharashtra, filed an application for one day release from prison in his bail plea submitted earlier this year.

    The NCP leader’s application was mentioned by his advocate Inderpal Singh before a single bench of Justice N J Jamadar.

    Justice Jamadar posted the matter for hearing on June 15.

    The plea of Malik, a sitting cabinet minister, was mentioned before a single bench of Justice Bharati Dangre.

    His lawyer Kushal Mor sought permission to get Malik’s plea tagged with Deshmukh’s application and for both the matters to be heard on June 15 by Justice Jamadar.

    Justice Dangre asked Mor to mention the matter on June 14 (Tuesday).

    Malik’s lawyers Taraq Sayed and Kushal Mor had initially sought to amend an earlier petition filed by the state minister challenging a special court order refusing to release him on June 10 for voting in the Rajya Sabha polls.

    Sayed told a single bench of Justice P D Naik that the prayers are still the same and that only the date would have to be amended from June 10 to June 20.

    Justice Naik, however, noted that the cause of action was different and that Malik’s earlier petition had become infructuous as the elections he wanted to vote in (Rajya Sabha) was over.

    ALSO READ | Another BJP vs MVA on cards as 11 candidates in fray for 10 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats

    “You (Malik) will have to file a fresh plea seeking to be released on June 20 for the MLC elections,” Justice Naik said, indicating he was not inclined to allow the amendment.

    Malik’s lawyers then withdrew the earlier petition and said they would file a fresh one.

    Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 23 this year in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

    His party colleague Deshmukh was arrested in November 2021 by the ED on money laundering charges.

    The biennial elections for 10 vacant seats of the Upper House of the state Legislature will be held on next Monday.

    Members of the state Legislative Assembly constitute the electoral college for these polls.

    Eleven candidates are in the fray.

    The opposition BJP has fielded five candidates, while the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, all constituents of the ruling MVA, have given tickets to two nominees each.

    Meanwhile, the CBI on Monday submitted before a special court here that it had filed a charge-sheet against Deshmukh and his former aides within the mandated time period of 60 days in a corruption case, and opposed their pleas for default bail.

    The central agency submitted an affidavit in the court opposing the pleas of Deshmukh and his former aide and co-accused Sanjeev Palande seeking default bail on the ground that the CBI had filed an “incomplete” charge-sheet in the case.

    The pleas had claimed the CBI had not submitted relevant documents along with the charge-sheet and those papers were deposited in the court after the mandated time period.

    As per section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), a charge-sheet in a case ought to be filed within 60 days from arrest of an accused.

    If this was not done, then the accused can seek default bail.

    The CBI, in its affidavit, said the law mandates completion of investigation within 60 days and that in the present case the report (charge-sheet) was filed by the agency on June 2, 2022, which is within the period of 60 days.

    It added that the contention of the accused persons that since the documents accompanying the charge-sheet were not deposited in the court on June 2, 2022, it cannot be termed as a complete charge-sheet is entirely misplaced.

    “Such misplaced understanding cannot be used/ utilized to seek the benefit of default bail,” the CBI said.

    The affidavit further said that it was the court that directed the investigating officer to deposit the documents on or before June 7 and hence the accused cannot claim benefit under section 167(2) of the CrPC (accused can seek default bail if charge-sheet is not filed within 60 days).

    The CBI had last week filed a 59-page charge-sheet against NCP leader Deshmukh and his two former aides – Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde – in the case related to alleged corruption and misuse of office.

    Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in March last year alleged that Deshmukh, the then-state home minister, had given a target to police officers to collect Rs 100 crore per month from restaurants and bars in the city.

    Deshmukh denied the allegations, but stepped down from his ministerial post after the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to register a case against him.

    The 72-year-old politician is currently in jail under judicial custody in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

  • ‘Woman can’t be compelled to work just because she is educated’: Bombay HC

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A woman cannot be compelled to work to eke out a living, merely because she is educated, the Bombay High Court observed, while hearing a man’s plea against a court order directing him to pay maintenance to his estranged wife.

    A single bench of Justice Bharati Dangre was hearing a revision application filed by the man challenging an order of the family court in Pune.

    During the hearing on Friday, the court said that a woman had the “choice to either work or stay at home” even if she was qualified and had an educational degree.

    “Our society has not yet accepted that the woman of the household should contribute (financially). It is a woman’s choice to work. She cannot be compelled to go to work. Just because she is a graduate, does not mean she cannot sit at home,” Justice Dangre said.

    “Today I am a judge of this court. Tomorrow, suppose I may sit at home. Will you then say I am qualified to be a judge and shouldn’t sit at home?” she said.

    The man’s counsel argued that the family court had “unfairly” directed his client to pay maintenance since his estranged wife was a graduate and had the capability to work and make a living.

    In his plea filed through advocate Ajinkya Udane, the man also alleged that his estranged wife had a steady source of income at present, but that she had hidden this fact from the court.

    The petitioner challenged the family court’s order that directed him to pay Rs 5,000 each month to his wife and Rs 7,000 towards the maintenance of his 13-year-old daughter, who currently lives with her.

    The high court will hear the matter further next week.

  • HC rejects transit pre-arrest bail plea of filmmaker booked for sharing Amit Shah’s photo with arrested IAS officer

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday rejected the transit pre-arrest bail plea filed by filmmaker Avinash Das, who was booked by the Gujarat Police for sharing a photo of Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal, who was recently arrested by the ED in a money laundering case.

    A vacation bench of Justice Bharati Dangre rejected Das’ transit anticipatory bail plea, filed through advocate Adil Khatri, and directed the filmmaker to “approach the appropriate forum for relief”.

    Justice Dangre said that Ahmedabad, where the FIR against Das was registered, was not too far from Mumbai.

    Das should approach the court concerned in Ahmedabad for protection from arrest or any other relief pertaining to the case, the judge said.

    The Enforcement Directorate earlier this month arrested Jharkhand mining secretary Singhal in a case of money laundering involving alleged diversion of MGNREGA funds, and also seized over Rs 18 crore in cash from the house of a chartered accountant, allegedly linked to Singhal.

    An official from Ahmedabad Police’s Detection of Crime Branch last week said Das (46) shared the photo on his Twitter handle on May 8.

    The photo showed Shah and Singhal at a public event five years ago, but Das tweeted it to mislead people and defame the minister’s reputation, the official had said.

    In the FIR registered by the Ahmedabad police, Das has also been booked under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act and the IT Act, for allegedly insulting the national flag by posting on March 17 a morphed picture of a woman wearing a tricolour on his Facebook account.

    Das had directed the 2017 film ‘Anaarkali of Aarah’, starring Swara Bhaskar, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi.