MUMBAI: Observing that there was no public interest involved in individual matters, the Bombay High Court today disposed of a batch of PILs alleging that self-styled godwoman Sukhvinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa was impersonating as Goddess Durga and cheating devotees by taking money from them.
"We are of the view that petitions against the respondent number 2 (Radhe Maa) cannot be said to be PILs as they are not concerned about public interest but are individual matters," a bench headed by Justice V M Kanade said.
The high court, however, ruled that private complaints can be filed with police or in a magistrate's court against the self-styled godwoman and investigations can proceed in accordance with law.
A bench also allowed another PIL against Radhe Maa to be withdrawn after petitioner Ramesh Joshi informed the court that police had accepted his prayer and filed an FIR against her for carrying trident in an aircraft from Aurangabad to Mumbai last year.
According to this PIL, carrying weapons is banned under laws for security reasons. Although the PIL prayed the high court to monitor investigation, the bench said, "We are afraid that we cannot do this. Such a prayer cannot be made in a PIL."
Other PILs were filed by advocate Falguni Bhrambhat and others. All PILs sought action against the self-styled godwoman for allegedly luring devotees and taking money from them. Some of the petitions even sought transfer of the probe from Borivali police to the crime branch or a higher authority in police department.
The allegations made against Radhe Maa are based on newspaper reports and the police have not been able to find any illegality in these matters, the bench observed while adding that such imputations cannot be made in a PIL.
The judges said that the high court has never entertained any individual petitions as PIL and on this ground alone, all the PILs against Radhe Maa are being disposed of.