The Bombay High Court came down heavily on the Maharashtra police for registering 11 FIRs against former MP and NCP leader Anand Paranjpe for protesting against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to a report of PTI, Paranjpe had filed a petition in the high court seeking for all the FIRs to be clubbed. Additional public prosecutor Prajakta Shinde on Friday told the court that the police would not take any coercive action against Paranjpe in all the 11 FIRs till January 18, when the matter is heard.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and P K Chavan noted that the police will learn a lesson only when a cost is imposed on them and they are directed to pay the same from their own salaries.
Government pleader Shinde said the offences registered against Paranjape were bailable and he could apply for bail in all the cases. The bench then asked why an accused should apply for bail in each of the 11 cases, when there should not have been so many cases in the first place. This has to stop. Ultimately who suffers is common man, it said.
Later, CM Shinde’s supporters registered 10 more FIRs at different police stations, but within the jurisdiction of the Thane police commissionerate, the plea stated. It was alleged that the protestors had defamed the chief minister and uploaded a video of the agitation on social media like Twitter to create unrest and riots in the state, as Paranjape knew that there are innumerable followers/supporters of the chief minister and they would get offended and resort to rioting.