In a recent development, the Bombay High Court has mandated a Thane district magistrate to revisit a petition seeking the registration of an FIR against NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad. The directive comes after the initial rejection of the complaint by the magistrate, which was challenged in the higher court.
Justice Sarang Kotwal, presiding over the case, issued the order on September 6, with details made public this Thursday. The complaint, lodged by Khush Khandelwal, a lawyer and leader of the Hindu Task Force, accuses Awhad, a former minister, of promoting enmity between different groups under Section 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The controversy stems from a 2018 incident where the Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested cow vigilante Vaibhav Raut in Nalasopara, allegedly finding crude bombs in his possession. During the ongoing investigation, Awhad purportedly made unsubstantiated claims that the explosives were intended for use against Maratha activists, who were then engaged in agitations.*
Following the police’s refusal to register an FIR based on these allegations, Khandelwal approached the magistrate’s court. However, his request was denied, with the magistrate citing a lack of jurisdiction as the reason for the refusal.
