MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court as well as a session court in Pune have adjourned cases related to the Elgaar Parishad before them. The Bombay High Court adjourned the hearing till September 17, and the Pune court has done so till September 14.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the petition before them challenging the arrest of rights activists on September 12, until when it has extended the house arrest of the activists.
While the Pune police have argued that the activists have been arrested for alleged Maoist connections and involvement in organizing the Elgaar Parishad at Pune that led to violence at Bhima Koregaon, the petition before the Bombay High Court has sought transfer of investigation of the Elgar Parishad case from Pune police to the National Investigative Agency, and the Pune court had been hearing the bail plea of two of the activists arrested on June 6.
The Bombay High Court adjourned the hearing after the lawyer of an accused said that the Supreme Court will hear a plea on the transfer of the probe to an independent agency on September 12, while the Pune court did so at the request of the prosecution as the investigating officer needed to attend the Supreme Court hearing and could not be present in court.
The Bombay High Court also deprecated the practice of people writing directly to the prime minister, the president or chief minister making wide allegations against certain persons instead of following due process of law, while hearing the case.
"This tendency of bypassing procedure laid down in the law and writing directly to top constitutional functionaries seems to be aimed at seeking publicity," observed the division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Mridula Bhatkar.
Apart from Pune resident Satish Gaikwad, who has sought transfer of the probe to NIA, another plea by social activist Abdul Malik Chaudhary demanded a state CID probe.
Referring to Chaudhary's plea, the bench noted earlier the petitioner had written a letter to the prime minister, president of India and Maharashtra chief minister.
"In the letter, the petitioner has made wide allegations against several persons and has in fact even involved a neighbouring country. This is very unfortunate that people write letters to the prime minister and president instead of following due process of law. It seems like these persons only want publicity and popularity," Justice Shinde said.
The bench then adjourned the hearing on the petitions till September 17.