Pune, 14th July 2023: In a significant development, the local court has deemed the arrest of an accused individual in a case related to threat calls to Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde as illegal. The court has ordered the Pune City Police to release the accused immediately.
The court’s decision was based on the assertion that the police did not adhere to proper legal procedures during the arrest of the accused in this case. It was pointed out that due process was not followed before the arrest, leading to the conclusion that the arrest was carried out unlawfully. Consequently, the accused has been granted bail on a surety amount of Rs 15,000.
The verdict draws attention to a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court in the case of Bihar Vs Arnesh Kumar. The judgment states that it is essential to serve a notice to the accused prior to making an arrest in cases where the punishment carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Furthermore, to investigate and arrest an accused individual in a non-cognizable offense, the permission of the first-class judicial magistrate court is required. The court found that both these procedures were not followed by the police, rendering the arrest illegal, as stated by Advocate Sachin Salunkhe.
After considering the arguments from both sides, the court granted bail to the accused. It should be noted that the arrested individual, Prashant Dasharath Patil (24), a resident of Kolhapur, was apprehended by the Pune Police in Mahad, Raigad. He was arrested for making threat calls to ministers and NCP leaders, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde. Subsequently, it was revealed that Patil was under the influence of alcohol when he made the calls and expressed his discontent with the two leaders joining the BJP-led government with Ajit Pawar.
