Give interim protection to activists: HC

The Bombay High Court, on Friday, directed the state police to provide interim police protection to social activists and social organisations till their applications for police protection are decided by police authorities.

A division bench of Justice F.I. Rebello and Justice Ajmad Sayed also directed the police to expedite investigations into the complaints filed by activists and organisations.

Government pleader Nitin Deshpande said investigations of activists’ complaints will be supervised by senior officials. The order has been issued in a suo-motu public interest litigation taken up following the murder of Pune-based social activist Satish Shetty. The state has handed over investigation of the case to the CBI.

The issue of safety of activists was raked up in the case as it was later revealed that Shetty had filed an application seeking police protection. He, however, was killed before the Pune Rural Police could decide on his plea.

Referring the attack on social activist Nayana Kathpalia in Mumbai, the court had earlier asked the state and the director general of police to take steps to meet the threat perception faced by public interest litigants and activists.