Post on Sharad Pawar: Student gets interim protection from arrest in two cases in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: A Bombay HC bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and N R Borkar held that the case was made out for grant of interim bail to a 22-year-old student, Nikhil Bhamare, arrested for alleged objectionable post against NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
It ordered his release in two FIRs registered at Naupada police station in Thane and Pune city cyber cell on a personal recognizance bond of Rs 15,000.
It also directed that in two other FIRs filed at Goregaon and Bhoiwada police stations, Bhamare "shall not be arrested till further orders".
Bhamare was arrested on May 13 and has been behind bars since, said his counsel Subhash Jha and advocate Anirudh Ganu.
The HC said, "The earlier incident referred to by public prosecutor [Aruna Pai] is also in respect of electronic communication. Apart from this, we have not been shown any antecedent of petitioner. It cannot be said at this stage that the argument of petitioner th-at bare perusal of the contents of the post and the FIR, an ingredient of the offence creati-ng disharmony between two groups is not made out, is inco-rrect. Prima facie, we also find merit in his contention that multiple FIRs for the same post in different cities were against the position of law and have resulted in great prejudice against...student who has to apply in different courts for bail."
The HC was told that Bhamare has already been granted bail by a magistrate in Nashik in the FIR filed at Dindori police station and the one at Dehu Road police station in Pimpri-Chinchwad. But Thane magis-trate's court had denied him bail earlier this month. The HC said the bail conditions set by Nashik magistrate to mark his attendance at Dindori police station every Sunday "will suffice for interim bail".