Mumbai: Court rejects plea of advocate for protection from arrest to MVA leaders

Observing that passing such a blanket order will set a bad tradition, a sessions court has rejected the application filed by an advocate and two others associated with the Congress who had sought protection from arrest to Maha Vikas Aghadi MPs and MLAs.

The court held that such a plea is not maintainable. The advocate Madhu Holamagi who had filed the application is the Senior Vice Chairman of the Mumbai Regional Congress Party and the other two - Yusuf Patel and Ranjeet Dutta are members of it.

They had sought that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and all central agencies be directed not to arrest any member of the MVA. The ED had not responded to the plea and given a ‘no say’. The application had said that the union government under the banner of BJP is misusing the central agencies to harass the members of other parties, especially the components of MVA. It added that Subramaniyam Swamy, Devendra Fhadnavis, Kirit Somaya and others are trying to make false complaints against the members of MVA and using the ED. The plea also mentioned instances of summonses by ED to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

Special Judge MG Deshpande said there is nothing like a resolution signed by the MPs and MLAs of the MVA appointing the three applicants to file anticipatory bail applications on their behalf. It further called the allegations and grounds in the plea baseless and deserve to be rejected. It said that such an application which seeks relief of anticipatory bail in respect of the persons who are third parties cannot be entertained.