State recommends prosecution of Chandrakant Khaire

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Friday informed the Bombay high court that the state law and judiciary department had recommended the prosecution of Chandrakant Khaire, Shiv Sena member of parliament (MP) from Aurangabad, for obstructing demolition of an illegal temple in Walunj. The state sought time till Monday to take its decision on the department’s recommendation and granting a sanction for the MP’s prosecution.

The state’s submission was made before a bench of Justices A.S. Oka and M.S. Sonak in compliance with a previous order of the court. The HC is monitoring compliance of directions given in its October 2016 judgment in a PIL by society for fast Justice and Activist Bhagwanji Raiyani seeming that the Supreme Court’s (SC) 2009 order on acting against illegal shrines in public places be implemented across Maharashtra.

As per the plea, Khaire had allegedly abused a tehsildar leading the demolition squad and prevented him and the demolition squad from razing down an illegal shrine in the area.

The court had observed on previous hearings that while the incident occurred on October 29, 2015, the state government was yet to take a decision on granting a sanction that would have the way for the police to file a chargesheet against Khaire.

The demolition action was part of a state-wide drive to demolish illegal shrines in accordance with the SC order.