Advocate Pradeep Gharat, who was appointed as Special Public Prosecutor in a public interest litigation filed against BJP’s ex-MLA Narendra Mehta in an alleged land usurping case, has been asked to step down from appearing in the matter before the Bombay High Court. The Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) who was appearing in the case informed Gharat about the development.
Gharat, however, has asked the investigating officer concerned in the case to hand over the termination of appointment in writing and to not take the informal way. This is not the first time that Gharat has been reportedly removed from a sensitive case.
Gharat told the FPJ, “Almost two hearing dates ago, when I had approached the HC, the APP in the court informed me that he has received a message from the chief public prosecutor that I should not appear in the case and that the APP shall appear henceforth. However, I fail to understand as to why I am not informed formally about my termination. As of now, there is no formal decision over the same, but I have been asked not to appear.”
Petitioner Jay Shukla, a businessman from Mira-Bhayandar, confirmed the update. Sharma said, “Gharat is a man of principles. He always fights each and every case on the basis of its merits and never falls prey to any kind of pressure. I assume that to be the reason to ask him to back off from the case.”
The HC on Wednesday was hearing the petition filed by Shukla, seeking the transfer of the case from Kashimira police station to any other for the investigation to proceed further. Shukla was initially associated with Raj Builders and Developers as an exclusive agent to sell a property at Ghodbunder Road and Mira-Bhayandar. Despite being paid Rs2.49 crore, the builder failed to develop the property as agreed.
In 2019, the duo agreed to transfer the title of the property in the name of Shukla, but the developer later refused to execute the sale deed.
In his petition, Shukla stated that he was allegedly threatened by Mehta in January 2021 to accept the deal at whatever money he was offered. Mehta had allegedly planned to acquire the land through Seven Eleven Constructions Pvt Ltd, a company believed to be owned by him. Thus an FIR was filed against Mehta and Seven Eleven Constructions.
Shukla suspects that the local police and the accused are hand in glove and hence has petitioned to transfer the case from the Kashimira police station to any other police station.
