8/9/2018
PUNE (MUMBAI): The
Bombay High Court 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.
A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Mridula Bhatkar
said this tendency of bypassing procedure laid down in the law and writing
directly to top constitutional functionaries seems to be aimed at seeking
publicity.
The bench made the observation while hearing petitions
pertaining to the January 2018 violence at Koregaon-Bhima village in Pune
district. While one petition filed by Pune resident Satish Gaikwad, who claims
to be a victim of the violence, sought an inquiry by the National Investigation
Agency (NIA) into the case, 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
prime minister and president instead of following due process of law,"
Justice Shinde said.
The law permits a person to approach the police or a
magistrate to lodge a complaint and get their grievances addressed, the court
noted. "It seems like these persons only want publicity and
popularity," Justice Shinde said. The bench adjourned hearing on the petitions
till September 17 after observing that a similar plea pertaining to the June
arrest of five activists for their alleged links with Maoists would be heard on
September 12.
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