Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday
rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by a
newly-elected corporator from suburban Govandi.
Shiv Sena corporator Dinesh Panchal had moved the high
court after the session court had also rejected his bail
application on March 13.
An FIR was registered against Panchal and four others
under charges of unlawful assembly, rioting with weapons and
causing grievous hurt.
According to Panchal, he was a victim of political
rivalry, as the FIR was lodged at the instance of Shashikant
Patil, the erstwhile NCP corporator, who lost the seat to
Panchal in the civic elections held in February.
While two were arrested in the case, two others were
granted anticipatory bail by the sessions court.
The complaint was lodged on February 15 by NCP's
Mahendra Benarji, a day before the elections, when Panchal and
four of his partymen allegedly assaulted NCP workers with
bamboos, belts and other weapons.
In his anticipatory bail plea, Panchal contended that
Patil was distributing sarees and money amongst voters a day
before the election and an opposition from his party workers
led to the alleged scuffle.
He, however, stated that all the charges pressed
against him are bailable. Panchal said that the sarees and
cash were seized by the Trombay police that registered a
separate case in the matter.
Additional public prosecutor Rajeshree Gadhvi,
however, said that if Panchal found that election norms were
flouted, he should have informed the Election Commission and
not taken the law in his own hands.
Granting no relief to Panchal, Justice A V Nirgude
said, that the matter needs further investigation.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 19, 2012, 21:22