Mumbai: The Bombay High Court is willing to hear the plea of the president of Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS), who delivered a speech that allegedly instigated three Hindus to murder a Muslim.
Justice A.M. Badar was hearing the petition moved by Dhananjay Desai, who on June 2, 2014, was conducting a meeting at Hadapsar following the defiling of a statue of Shivaji Maharaj, and delivered an instigating speech. Soon after, Vijay Gambhire, Ganesh alias Ranjeet Yadav, and Ajay Lalge beat up and killed Shaikh Mohsin.
While rejecting Mr. Desai’s bail, another Bench had said that the transcript of the speech delivered by him was sufficient to show that he had incited the feelings of religious discrimination. On January 12, Justice Mridula Bhatkar had granted bail to the three Hindus by saying “it appears that in the name of religion, they were provoked and have committed the murder.”
On April 13, a revision petition came up before Justice Badar and the court admitted the plea to decide whether or not Mr. Desai can be charged with conspiracy to murder.
On June 14, 2016, the sessions court had rejected Mr. Desai’s bail and discharge application, and had said that there is prima facie evidence against the accused, which cannot be overlooked. Mr. Desai was arrested on June 10, 2014, and is lodged in Yerwada jail.
