Maharashtra: Government decides to withdraw all criminal cases connected with political and social agitation up to June 30, 2022

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to withdraw all criminal cases connected with agitations on political and social issues up to June 30, 2022 , said reports.

The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting on Thursday to take back all social and political criminal cases that have no loss of life or public property damage till June 30, 2022.

Maha Vikas Aghadi government had proposed for the withdrawal

Earlier this year, a proposal was made by the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government to remove the cases against political and social activists and also to give power to regional administrative committees to decide on this matter, the media report stated. The state government had advised taking back cases registered on that ground between January 2020 and December 2021.

Later, the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government had also come up with a similar announcement and took back the cases till March 2022 in social and political protests in the state in connection with Ganesh Utsav and Dahi Handi (Krishna Janmashtami).

Shinde announced withdrawl

Last month, an order was also issued by the Maharashtra government last month, giving more information on the procedure for pullout of cases filed against official orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

The state government stated that all cases registered under IPC section 188 (defying a lawfully promulgated order of a public servant) can be withdrawn, except where government officials or frontline workers were beaten or property damage exceeded Rs 50,000.