HC irked with people writing directly to PM, Prez, CM

Mumbai: The Bombay high court expressed displeasure at the practice of people writing directly to the Prime Minister, President or chief minister, making wide allegations against certain persons instead of following due process of law.

The court said that this tendency of bypassing procedure laid down in the law and writing directly to top constitutional functionaries seemed to be aimed at seeking publicity.

A division bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and Mridula Bhatkar was hearing petitions pertaining to the violence that erupted in Bhima-Koregaon, Pune district, in January 2018. While one petition, filed by Pune resident Satish Gaikwad, sought an inquiry into the case by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), another plea by social activist Abdul Malik Chaudhary demanded a state CID probe. Referring to Chaudhary’s plea, the bench noted earlier that the petitioner had written the letter to the Prime Minister, President and chief minister.

“In the letter, the petitioner has made wide allegations against several persons and has, in fact, even involved a neighbouring country. This is very unfortunate that people write letters to the Prime Minister and President instead of following due process of law,” said Justice Shinde.

The law permits a person to approach the police or a magistrate to lodge a complaint and get his/her grievance addressed, the court noted. “It seems these persons only want publicity and popularity,” Justice Shinde said.

The bench adjourned hearing on the petitions till September 17 after observing that a similar plea pertaining to the arrest of five activists for their alleged Maoist links would be heard on September 12.