The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday intervened in a matter concerning alleged derogatory remarks made against Mahatma Gandhi, seeking an official response from the Maharashtra Home Department and the Nagpur City Police.
A division bench comprising Justices Anil Pansare and Nivedita Mehta issued notices to several parties, including the State Home Department, the Nagpur Police Commissioner, senior journalist Pushpendra Kulshrestha, and event organizer Nishant Gandhi. The court has directed the respondents to submit their replies by March 30.
The legal action stems from a petition filed by Ashwin Bais, a local Congress functionary, through Advocate Akash Moon. The petition concerns a program organized by the Sakal Hindu Samaj Sammelan on February 15.
According to the petitioner, senior journalist Pushpendra Kulshrestha made “highly objectionable” and derogatory statements regarding Mahatma Gandhi during the event. Specifically, the plea alleges that Kulshrestha stated Gandhi cannot be termed the “Father of the Nation.”
The petitioner moved the High Court seeking a direction to the Sitabardi police in Nagpur to act on his formal complaint. The plea names both Kulshrestha, for his speech, and Nishant Gandhi, the organizer of the February 15 program, as responsible parties.
The petitioner contends that the statements made during the Sammelan were derogatory and warrant legal scrutiny under the prevailing laws regarding the defamation of national icons.
During the hearing, the division bench emphasized the need for evidentiary support. The court directed the petitioner to furnish the audio clip of the speech in question to the police authorities for investigation. Furthermore, the petitioner has been ordered to submit the same audio recording to the court for its records.
The matter is scheduled for further hearing following the March 30 deadline for the respondents’ replies.
