Mumbai: Ex-corporator tenders apology after court seeks to take action over clapping

The court said that Sanjay Ambole, who, along with 20 others, has been booked for restraining the BEST General Manager during a protest last year over power supply, had clapped “as if a speech has been given” by Lodha.

“…it is interference and interruption in the judicial functioning of the court and not maintaining decorum of the court,” the court said. It sought to take action against Ambole under Section 228 (intentional insult or interruption to public servant sitting in judicial proceedings) of the Indian Penal Code. The punishment under the bailable section is a maximum of six months imprisonment or a fine up to Rs 1,000 or both.

Ambole, however, filed an unconditional apology which the court accepted and directed him not to repeat his action again.

Last year, on July 23, members of BJP had allegedly entered the BEST office to protest over discontinuation of power supply, showed banners, shouted slogans, restrained the general manager for over three hours and manhandled police personnel. The police had filed an FIR on charges including Sections 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant) and other sections relating to unlawful assembly of the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Epidemic Prevention Act.