Court refuses to accept charge sheets filed a year later against Patole, Narvekar | Bombay News

MUMBAI: Criticizing the Marine Drive police for giving a lame excuse, the Girgaum Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court recently refused to accept the charges filed a year and a half later against several political leaders, including BJP and Congress politicians, for organize demonstrations in the midst of Covid. confinement in February 2022.

The Marine Drive police explained the reason for the delay claiming that they were busy with “side duties” for IPL matches, assembly sessions and the Prime Minister’s visit to the city, which the court heard he refused to accept.

In February 2022, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar and several other Congress and BJP leaders were booked by the Marine Drive police for holding demonstrations and protests amid the blockade of Covid-19, which is in breach of the prohibitory orders and has not adhered. to the mandatory safety distance policy.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shrikant Nimse said under existing law, delay can be condoned if it is properly explained, or it is necessary to do so in the interest of justice. “Currently there is a delay of almost one year and six months and the reason for this delay is the bandobast for the IPL matches, the bandobast for the assembly and the bandobast for the Prime Minister’s visit. It is a very lame excuse to condone the delay of one year and six months”, said Magistrate Nimse.

The court noted that the political leaders were arrested under Section 269 (a negligent act likely to spread a dangerous disease) of the Indian Penal Code, Sections 37(1) (public speeches or cries) and 135 (disobedience) of the Maharashtra Police. Act and Section 51 (B) (refusal to comply with government directions) of the Disaster Management Act and the maximum penalty for the offenses was one year’s imprisonment.

The court said that the incident took place on February 9, 2022 and the limitation for filing the chargesheet ended on February 9, 2023, while the chargesheets were filed by the end of August 2024 together with the request for condonation of the delay, around half past one. year after the due date.