Out of turn hearing of appeals of celebrities: Petition filed in Bombay High Court

A Petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court by Ms. Shashikala Bhagwan Gangurde against out of turn hearing of appeals of celebrities, including film actors Shiney Ahuja and Salman Khan, against their conviction.

The Petitioner has filed the petition on behalf of her incarcerated husband and many other convicts who eagerly wait in jails for many years to get bail and struggle hard to ensure that their appeals are listed for final hearing before the High Court.

It has been argued that it was discriminatory on the part of Respondents -- The Registrar General (Judicial) of High Court and Maharashtra Government -- in placing all matters of celebrities and high profile personalities for final hearing on an urgent basis, in spite of being filed much later.

Shiney Ahuja’s case was cited by the Petitioner, emphasizing on the fact that even though the Bollywood actor was convicted on charges of raping his maid in March 2011, his appeal has already been listed for final hearing.

The Petition also alleged that Salman Khan’s appeal has also been listed out of turn for final hearing.

The Petitioner’s husband was convicted in a murder case in 2009 and he had urged for bail but the plea was rejected. Even though the High Court had directed the Registry to place his appeal for final hearing in October, 2009, it has not come up for hearing till now. The Petitioner has supported her appeal with several such examples of hardship being faced by poor litigants.

The petition is slated to come up for hearing on July 20, before a Bench of Justice Ranjit More.