Lawyers’ Assault Case: Bombay HC calls For Affidavit Explaining Why FIR Lodged In English & Not Marathi

The Bombay High Court has directed the officer in charge of Antop Hill police station to file an affidavit explaining under which provision an FIR was lodged in English and not Marathi. 

The said FIR was filed by a lawyer, Sadhana Yadav,  alleging assault by a cop. 

A bench headed by justice Ajey Gadkari passed the order while hearing a plea by Yadav alleging inaction by the Antop Hill police station and allegedly refusing to register an FIR against police officer Nasir Kulkarni and other officers. 

The court noted that the record indicates that an FIR was registered in Yadav’s complaint. She had submitted a detailed complaint to the deputy commissioner of police, Zone-IV, Mumbai on May 20, 2023. 

“While recording the FIR, the scribe of it, has not even taken basic care to delete name of Dr Pravin Mundhe, DCP Zone-IV, Mumbai to whom (she) had addressed her complaint,” the detailed order. It further added that the complaint is  “reproduced” as it is in the English language. 

As per a home department circular, an FIR has to be registered in Marathi. 

“Even otherwise, the official language of the state is Marathi and therefore it is expected from the scribe of the said report to record the FIR of the lawyer in Marathi,” the bench underlined. 

The judges also noted that perusal of the FIR indicates that there are “blatant lapses” on the part of the scribe while recording it.

The plea contended that on May 18 around 2 pm, Yadav called the police helpline to report harassment by two individuals over the use of a common washroom in her office. The petition alleges that when Yadav went to the police station to file her complaint, Kulkarni and his subordinates assaulted her and unlawfully detained her for several hours. The advocates said that despite repeated requests to senior police officials, no FIR has been registered against the accused policemen.

The HC has directed the affidavit to be submitted by October 25.