Milind Ekbote, president of Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharaj Pratishthan and Samasta Hindu Aghadi (SHA), withdrew his petition from the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of an FIR filed against him for an alleged hate speech given by him in 2021, after the court indicated that will not rule in his favour.
A division bench of Justices Nitin Sambre and RN Laddha on Friday expressed that it was not inclined to grant any relief which prompted Ekbote’s advocate to withdraw the plea.
In 2021, the FIRs were registered at Khadak police station in Pune and another one in Thane.
Ekbote's hate speech patronizing Shivaji Maharaj hurt sentiments
An event was organised on December 19, 2021, at Natubaug in Pune to commemorate the killing of Afzal Khan by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The police claimed that Ekbote gave a speech during the event that had the potential to incite people and hurt religious sentiments.
During the hearing on Friday, advocate Yashovardhan Deshmukh, appearing for Ekbote, requested to read the statements mentioned in the FIR.
However, the bench advised against it, stating that Ekbote should consider withdrawing the petition. It further said that the case had been made based on the contents of the FIR.
Ekbote would withdraw petition
Deshmukh then informed the court that Ekbote would withdraw the petition concerning the FIR registered in Pune.
The bench noted that the second FIR, registered at Thane, was based on the same set of facts as the one in Pune. It then directed Deshmukh to submit a copy of the documents and the petition to the public prosecutor, who would then present it before an officer not below the rank of Additional Director General of Police. The HC has asked the prosecution to file a reply by August 11.
