Bombay High Court Restrains Police From Filing Chargesheet Against NCP Leader Anand Paranjpe; Police To Pursue Only One FIR

In a relief for Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anand Paranjpe, the Maharashtra police on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that it will pursue only one and not all 11 FIRs registered against him.

“Learned APP on instructions states that the police intends to pursue only one FIR … APP states appropriate report on the other 10 cases will be filed within two weeks”, the court recorded.

A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Prithviraj Chavan also directed the police to continue their investigation but not file charge sheet against Paranjpe till further orders.

The court in the previous hearing had questioned the prosecution on the multiplicity of litigation and asked the state if all FIRs, except one can be closed. The court noted that identical sections were applied in the FIRs.

The 11 FIRs were registered against the former MP from the Kalyan Constituency after he allegedly raised slogans and posted comments against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The initial case against Paranjpe was based on a tweet he had posted regarding a protest in Thane by NCP workers led by him. The protest was after the state party president MLA Jayant Patil was suspended and barred from attending the winter session of the house.

The accused were booked with offences punishable under sections 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 501 (Printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory.) and 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of IPC and provisions of Maharashtra Police Act.

Paranjape had argued that 11 FIRs were filed from a single cause of action. It was a political agitation, he said, and added that multiple FIRs for the same cause of action couldn’t survive. He sought for the FIRs to be quashed.

Advocate Suhaas Oak appeared for the petitioner while APP Prajakta Shinde represented the state.