PIL petition seeking action against Eknath Shinde ‘politically induced’: Bombay High Court

Court says it will hear PIL petition if ₹1 lakh is deposited as security.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday said the plea seeking action against dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and other rebel Ministers was ‘a politically induced litigation’ and said it would hear the plea if ₹1 lakh was deposited as security.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and justice M.S. Karnik dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by journalist, lawyers and students Utpal Chandawar, Abhijeet Ghule-Patil, Neelima Vartak, Hemant Karnik, Manali Gupte, Medha Kulkarni and Madhavi Kulkarni

The plea states, “Citizen’s public rights are getting ignored due to the current political turmoil that is taking place in Maharashtra. It is causing public nuisance to the citizens as the Ministers of Maharashtra are neglecting their duties towards the citizens who have elected them. Instead of working for the community, the Ministers are aiming at securing personal gains by instigating internal disorder within the governance of the State.”

The court said, “You have elected the Ministers, you take action. Why should we take cognisance? Prima facie, we are of the view that this is an absolutely politically induced litigation. The petitioners have not made requisite research. We direct the petitioners to deposit ₹ 1 lakh as security within two weeks.”

The Bench also dismissed another PIL petition seeking registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray and Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut.

This plea, filed by Pune resident Hemant Patil, stated, “The Shiv Sena MLAs, who are rebelling, are camped in Assam because of the threats given by Thackeray senior and junior and Mr. Raut.”

“Mr. Raut is a threat to all of the 40 MLAs stating that their bodies will come from Assam and will be sent directly to the morgue for post-mortem. In this way all of them are creating the situation of riot and violence in the State of Maharashtra,” it said. The plea urged the court to direct an FIR against all three under sedition, despite it being temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court.