Mumbai: The Bombay High Court came down heavily on the Satara police for seeking action against a professor, who referred to late activist Govind Pansare's book "Shivaji Kon Hota" while pacifying agitated students during an event. The court questioned the police as to what kind of democracy this was and asked whether an offence was made against the professor.
The division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj K Chavan was hearing a plea by Dr Mrunalini Aher, who challenged a letter sent by the sub-inspector of a police station in Satara district in August 2023. The plea was disposed of on Friday after police told the court the letter would be unconditionally withdrawn.
The professor claimed the letter "brazenly and in complete excess of its powers" asked the principal of Yashwantrao Chavan College in Pachwad to conduct a probe against Aher and submit a report to the police station. The plea, filed through her advocate, claimed that on August Kranti Din (August 9) last year a professor delivered a lecture on venerable personalities.
During the speech, a segment of students got agitated as they felt that some disrespectful words were used about the said personalities. Aher, who was present during the lecture, claimed she attempted to pacify the situation and referred to Pansare's book to do so, the plea said.
Aher claimed some "over-enthusiastic and unscrupulous" audience then sought to attack her alleging she was supporting the fellow professor instead of condemning his behaviour. The inspector in question, who was also present on the spot, asked the principal to conduct a departmental enquiry against the professor.
Initiation of such an enquiry on the request by a police officer, who was not an appointing authority was illegal, she said in her plea. The HC bench asked the police inspector if he had read the book and questioned if an offence was made out despite the petitioner's right to freedom of speech.
The police officer could not have exceeded his powers and asked or issued directions to the college principal to take action, the HC bench said. The court then warned the state to pass strictures against the officer. However, the plea was disposed of after the prosecution told the court the communication would be unconditionally withdrawn. Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015, in Maharashtra's Kolhapur and succumbed to injuries on February 20.
