In a significant legal turnaround, the Jharkhand High Court on Monday nullified an FIR against former Deoghar Deputy Commissioner, Manjunath Bhajantri, which was lodged by Godda MP Nishikant Dubey. The FIR, which accused Bhajantri of sedition and violations under the Official Secrets Act, was originally filed in a zero FIR in Delhi on August 31, 2022, and later transferred to Kunda police station in Deoghar.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi presided over the case and ordered the quashing of the FIR and all related criminal proceedings against Bhajantri. This decision comes after a contentious legal and public spat involving allegations of serious misconduct at the newly inaugurated Deoghar airport.
The conflict began when Bhajantri lodged a complaint against Dubey and several others, including MP Manoj Tiwari and Dubeyโs two sons, alleging unauthorized access to the airport’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) room and coercively obtaining take-off clearance. This incident reportedly violated safety standards and occurred despite the airport’s lack of night take-off and landing capabilitiesโa mere month after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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In retaliation, Dubey lodged the zero FIR against Bhajantri upon his return to Delhi, leading to a series of legal challenges culminating in the High Court’s decision. The court had previously issued notices to Dubey, demanding his appearance and arguments in the matter, while also ordering that no coercive action be taken against Bhajantri during the ongoing proceedings.
