The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the Bombay High Court’s decision to quash an FIR against nine individuals accused of abetting the 2021 suicide of former Lok Sabha MP Mohan Delkar.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran upheld the September 8, 2022 order of the Bombay High Court, which had set aside the criminal proceedings. The plea was filed by Abhinav Delkar, son of the late MP, seeking to reinstate the case.
Delkar, a seven-time parliamentarian from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, was found dead in a Mumbai hotel in February 2021. Following his death, police registered an FIR based on a purported suicide note that alleged harassment and intimidation by several individuals, including senior bureaucrats and political figures. Among those named was Praful Khoda Patel, the administrator of the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu.
The case sparked significant political controversy at the time, with allegations of systemic harassment against the veteran MP. However, the High Court quashed the FIR in 2022, citing insufficient grounds to proceed with the charges.
The Supreme Court, after reserving its verdict on August 4, 2025, delivered its ruling in favour of the High Court’s decision, effectively bringing an end to the criminal case against the accused persons.
