The HC will hear the plea next on January 13. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the R A K Marg police station in Mumbai to ascertain whether a former Army officer required protection after a Shiv Sena corporator allegedly threatened him over property issues.
The former officer, Sujit Apte, in his plea has stated that corporator Amey Ghole, along with employees of the BMC, had entered his property and threatened him with “dire consequences” on December 13.
Apte has claimed that the R A K Marg police station, where he has filed a complaint, has refused to book Ghole and others. He sought directions to the police to register an FIR against the corporator and two others as well as police protection for himself.
A division bench of Justice S S Shinde and Justice Abhay Ahuja heard the plea, filed through advocates Dhrutiman Joshi and Amey Sawant, on December 29.
According to the plea, Apte’s brother, who lives in the United Kingdom, had in 2016 purchased a property in Wadala, which has a slum nearby. There was also a temple right next to it.
Apte said the temple was illegal and was demolished in 2017 by the BMC.
The petitioner, who is the attorney of his brother’s property, also claimed that some people illegally reconstructed the temple, which was again demolished by the BMC on December 11, last year.
The plea alleged that the corporator and a few others gathered at his property on December 13 and threatened him regarding the demolition, prompting him to file a police complaint.
The counsel for the corporator denied the allegations.
After hearing submissions, the court noted, “The aforesaid aspect will be examined on a returnable date. However, in interregnum, the additional public prosecutor to inform an in charge of the concerned police station in whose jurisdiction the petitioner is residing, if necessary, to grant police protection to the petitioner and his family.”
The HC will hear the plea next on January 13.