HC asks magistrate to hear plea seeking FIR against MLA Awhad again

Thane, Sep 12 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has asked a magistrate in Thane district to hear afresh an application seeking registration of a First Information Report against NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad.

Earlier, the magistrate had rejected the complaint filed by Khush Khandelwal, a lawyer, demanding that police register an FIR against Awhad, a former Maharashtra minister, under IPC section 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups).

The copy of the high court order, passed by Justice Sarang Kotwal on September 6, was made available on Thursday.

As per Khandelwal, who heads an outfit called Hindu Task Force, the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra arrested cow vigilante Vaibhav Raut from Nalasopara near Mumbai in 2018, and allegedly recovered crude bombs.

While the investigation was going on, Awhad made a statement without any evidence that the bombs were going to be used against agitating Maratha activists, the plea claimed.

As Bhayander police refused to register an FIR, Khandelwal approached the magistrate, but the lower court refused to pass any order for want of jurisdiction, the petition said. PTI COR KRK