New Delhi, (Samajweekly) The Maharashtra government on Monday told the Supreme Court that it will not oppose in a lower court the bail plea of Nagpur resident Sameet Thakkar, arrested for alleged offensive posts on the social media against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his Minister son Aaditya.
Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing Thakkar, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde that his client was treated inhumanely for his tweets, and he was also paraded in public. Jethmalani insisted that this is a very unfortunate case.
Advocate Rahul Chitnis, representing the Maharashtra government, said Thakkar’s remand ends on Monday and that the state will not oppose bail to him as his custodial interrogation is over.
The Chief Justice replied: “Why do you feel we are approving all this? We are only saying you go to the High Court.” The Chief Justice cited that the state government counsel has assured that they will not oppose the bail.
Jethmalani cited additional affidavit and argued that all offences are bailable offences and that his client was arrested in Rajkot on October 24. Thereafter, he was taken to Nagpur and produced in court in an “inhuman” condition.
Jethmalani submitted that there are three FIRs against his client, which do not disclose any offence. “I had moved the High Court, but then I was arrested in one after another instances under different cases with same matter,” argued Jethmalani.
The bench asked him why he did not mention this fact in the High Court.
Jethmalani submitted that the plea on October 19 had been listed on Monday. “If this does not shock you, then nothing will,” he remarked.
“We are immune to shocks,” the Chief Justice responded.
The bench declined to admit Thakkar’s interim bail plea, following which Jethmalani agreed to withdraw the petition.
Three different FIRs were registered against Thakkar for the same set of tweets. He has been arrested three times in the last three weeks.
