Mumbai: ‘Gangster’ Vijay Palande seeks contempt action against police officer

Mumbai: Suspected gangster Vijay Palande sought action for wilful contempt of court against Additional Director General of Police Deven Bharti on Thursday, for not responding to a notice of the court by an order of February 2020. The court on Thursday called for the response of the senior officer.

The court had passed the 2020 order to issue a notice to Bharti on an application of Palande which had sought legal action against him for giving information to a book called the ‘The Front Page Murders’, on a sub judice matter. Palande had complained in that application that the officer had made false and concocted averments on an on-going matter of Palande concerning Delhi businessman Arun Tikku. Bharti had headed the probe in the case in which Palande claims to have been falsely implicated. In his plea he had said the averments had maligned his reputation in society and also prejudiced the trial.

On Thursday, Palande in his application seeking action on the senior officer for wilful contempt of court, said in his plea drafted by advocate Prashant Pandey, “...Shri. Deven Bharti considers himself above the law which is evident from the fact that despite the order of the court on 26.02.2020 he has failed to file his say.” He said this clearly shows his wilful contempt of court and sought action on him for the same or that the court issue a fresh notice to him to file his response on his earlier contempt plea.

Tikku was found murdered in an Oshiwara flat of his family on April 7, 2012. Palande and his associates are charged with the businessman’s murder to take over his flat.