Kolhapur: The Kolhapur bench of the Bombay High Court has permitted the transfer of a petition filed against Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Gopichand Padalkar for allegedly making hate speeches against the Christian community to the principal seat of the court in Mumbai.
Petitioner Seeks Transfer to Principal Bench
The petitioner, Melwyn Fernandes, through his advocate Sunita Banis, argued before the court that, given the seriousness of the subject matter of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), it would be appropriate for the case to be heard at the court’s principal bench in Mumbai. The petitioner sought permission to write to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court for the transfer.
On November 7, a division bench comprising Justice M. S. Karnik and Justice Ajit Kadethankar granted the petitioner the liberty to write to the Chief Justice for transferring the matter.
Alleged Hate Speech in Sangli
Padalkar allegedly made inflammatory remarks during a public event in Sangli on June 17, offering a reward of ₹11 lakh to anyone who kills a Christian missionary involved in religious conversions.
His remarks came after a 28-year-old pregnant woman from Sangli district allegedly died by suicide due to dowry demands from her in-laws and pressure to practise Christianity.
Petition Cites Institutional Apathy
The petitioner stated that despite widespread public outrage and protests by the Christian community across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, the authorities have failed to initiate criminal prosecution against Padalkar for hate speech.
The petition further contended that this inaction demonstrates institutional apathy, promotes political impunity, and undermines public trust in constitutional governance and the rule of law.
Transferred from Kolhapur to Mumbai
Initially, the case was transferred to the newly established Kolhapur bench of the Bombay High Court. However, the petitioner subsequently sought to move it back to Mumbai, citing the importance of the matter and wider public interest.
