HC asks Mumbai top cop to take action on woman’s plaint against Sanjay Raut

Taking cognisance of the grievances raised by a Santacruz-based psychologist against the police inaction on her complaint against Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed the Mumbai Police commissioner (CP) to look into the matter

Taking cognisance of the grievances raised by a Santacruz-based psychologist against the police inaction on her complaint against Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed the Mumbai Police commissioner (CP) to look into the matter. The 36-year-old woman in her petition has complained of stalking and harassment by certain persons, allegedly at the behest of Raut and her estranged husband.

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HC also asked the woman to file a separate petition to deal with her contention of being arrested illegally on the allegations of using a fake degree to practice in a hospital at Bandra.

The division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice NJ Jamadar, was hearing the woman’s petition seeking directions to Mumbai Police to investigate three first information report (FIRs) lodged on her complaint in 2013 and 2018 against unknown persons and to initiate action against the deputy police commissioner (DCP), zone 8, for allegedly not taking action on her plaint despite directions by the National Women’s Rights Commission.

The woman’s advocate, Abha Singh, submitted that after the petition was filed, the police arrested her client based on a complaint which alleged that she was practicing at a well-known hospital in Bandra (West) on a fake clinical psychologist degree for two years before being removed from the post.

Singh submitted that her client was in jail for 10 days now and her personal liberty was at stake as the entire police machinery was unleashed on her after she filed the petition. Singh added that the police have acted in a mala fide manner, and hence, the bench should pass orders with regards to her original petition as well as the latest developments.

The court, however, declined to deal with the two separate issues together and suggested that the woman file a separate petition to challenge her arrest. It then directed the police commissioner of to look into the grievances raised in the petition and take appropriate measures and submit a report by Thursday.

In an earlier hearing on March 5, senior Raut’s advocate Prasad Dhakephalkar had opposed the plea and raised preliminary objections to it, stating that the allegations were false. Dhakephalkar had informed the court that the woman was like a daughter to his client and she made the accusations against him as she thought that he was siding with her husband in the couple’s matrimonial dispute.

In April, Raut had also filed an application in a Mumbai court against the woman, seeking removal of some “offensive” posts put up by her on social media against him.

HC will hear the plea on Thursday.