Nagpur: Activist Mohanish Jabalpure has filed a petition in the district and sessions court, pleading for directives to the police department to investigate and take action against the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for lacking a license to possess and display lethal weapons. The court has admitted the petition and issued notice to the station officer of Kotwali police station to file a reply.
The court has scheduled the next hearing on May 29.
Jabalpure, a resident of Mahal, where the RSS headquarters is situated, had sought four types of information under the RTI Act. He had asked about license issued to RSS for displaying or keeping weapons in RSS headquarters, and using them during the puja at Vijayadashmi celebrations.
Two applications had been submitted to Kotwali police station on September 27, 2017, seeking copies of weapons’ license issued to RSS, and submission of weapons by RSS during election period. In the reply dated October 7, 2017, Kotwali police said no license was registered in the name of RSS.
Two other applications had been submitted to the office of commissioner of police (CP) on September 22, 2017, seeking copy of permission given to RSS to display weapons and perform puja on it during Vijayadashmi celebrations, and copy of weapons license issued to RSS. In reply dated October 18, 2017, the CP office said information related to weapons license issued to RSS could not be found in its records.
Citing the information obtained under RTI Act, Jabalpure lodged a series of complaints with Kotwali police station and CP office, seeking investigation and action against RSS for lacking weapons license between September 27 and October 23, 2017. Alleging that police did not take any cognisance of his complaint, the activist filed a petition in the district court.
Judicial magistrate first class court no-8 had first rejected Jabalpure’s petition, since petitioner had not filed sworn affidavit along with the complaint on December 26, 2017.
On April 12, 2018, Jabalpure filed a criminal review petition seeking to quash and set aside the earlier order, and issuance of directives to police department for an investigation, and action against RSS. In the hearing on April 21, the court registered the case and issued notice to Kotwali police to file a reply.
In the petition, Jabalpure said, “Complaint was lodged with photographs with the police, seeking investigation against RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and his associates for using un-licensed dangerous weapons at large. It is also seen in photographs about training being given to a small boy about gun. Photographs are also available on internet,” he said.
The latest petition is the third related to RSS within last one year.