The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted IRS officer and former zonal director of Narcotics Control Bureau, Sameer Wankhede, interim protection from arrest till February 28 in a case registered against him for allegedly falsifying his age to obtain a liquor licence.
A Division Bench of justices S.S. Shinde and N.R. Borkar was hearing Mr. Wankhede’s petition to quash the case. It said he was a minor when the alleged crime took place. The incident happened in 1997 and the FIR was lodged in 2022. Advocate appearing for him said it was clear that the case was politically motivated and sought protection from arrest.
Public prosecutor Aruna Pai said a notice had been issued against Mr. Wankdede under section 41A (notice for appearance before a police officer) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Where was the question of arrest, she said.
The court said Mr. Wankhede should go and appear before the police. Senior advocate Aabad Ponda for Mr. Wankhede said the court must record that his client would not be arrested till then.
Bench unhappy
Another High Court bench expressed anger at a petition filed by Mr. Wankhede being listed for hearing without the court’s permission. This petition challenges an order passed by the Thane Excise Collector cancelling the liquor licence of his restaurant and bar in Navi Mumbai, and seeks restoration of the cancelled licence.
A Division Bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Madhav Jamdar refused to grant a hearing on the petition, saying there was no urgency.
“How come this petition is listed today when it was not mentioned before us on Monday? We have not allowed it,” the court said. “A poor person files a petition and their matter is never taken up for hearing, and when an influential person files a petition, their plea is listed for hearing immediately. What is the grave urgency? Heavens will not fall.”
