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Mumbai Magistrate hearing of govt plea against Thackeray prosecution
Mumbai, Dec 16: A city Magistrate last month deferred till today the Maharashtra government`s plea to withdraw prosecution in a 1991 riot case against Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and 24 party workers who had allegedly ransacked a newspaper office for publishing defamatory articles.
Mumbai, Dec 16: A city Magistrate last month deferred till today the Maharashtra government's plea to withdraw prosecution in a 1991 riot case against Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and 24 party workers who had allegedly ransacked a newspaper office for publishing defamatory articles.
The matter was deferred to today by Magistrate S Y Sishode for arguments. Thackeray's lawyer Rajendra Shirodkar had on the last occasion sought exemption for his client. Other accused appeared last month.
Thackeray is accused of making inflammatory speech at a rally while 24 Sainiks are facing the charge of rioting and ransacking office of a newspaper which criticised their chief.
In 1997, the BJP-Shiv Sena government had moved the court seeking to withdraw the prosecution against Thackeray and others for want of evidence. However, the court turned down its plea and the state moved the High Court.
On July 17 this year, the Mumbai High Court had set aside a lower court order which refused to allow the state's plea for withdrawal of prosecution against Thackeray and others.
Justice J A Patil, quashing the order of February 18, 1997 of a Bandra Magistrate, directed him to consider afresh the government's plea for withdrawal of the prosecution against Thackeray and others.
On October 29, 1991, Shiv Sainiks had allegedly ransacked the office of Mahanagar newspaper which had carried an article critical of Thackeray and dwelt on his speech at the annual Dussehra rally held a day before the incident.
Bureau Report
The matter was deferred to today by Magistrate S Y Sishode for arguments. Thackeray's lawyer Rajendra Shirodkar had on the last occasion sought exemption for his client. Other accused appeared last month.
Thackeray is accused of making inflammatory speech at a rally while 24 Sainiks are facing the charge of rioting and ransacking office of a newspaper which criticised their chief.
In 1997, the BJP-Shiv Sena government had moved the court seeking to withdraw the prosecution against Thackeray and others for want of evidence. However, the court turned down its plea and the state moved the High Court.
On July 17 this year, the Mumbai High Court had set aside a lower court order which refused to allow the state's plea for withdrawal of prosecution against Thackeray and others.
Justice J A Patil, quashing the order of February 18, 1997 of a Bandra Magistrate, directed him to consider afresh the government's plea for withdrawal of the prosecution against Thackeray and others.
On October 29, 1991, Shiv Sainiks had allegedly ransacked the office of Mahanagar newspaper which had carried an article critical of Thackeray and dwelt on his speech at the annual Dussehra rally held a day before the incident.
Bureau Report