HC pulls up state for tardy probe in Pak national case

The Bombay high court on Friday said the presence of a mob would not deter it from conducting proceedings, even as it told the lawyer of a Pakistani national to ask his client to refrain from bringing so many people to court,in obstruction of decorum.

The Bombay high court on Friday said the presence of a mob would not deter it from conducting proceedings, even as it told the lawyer of a Pakistani national to ask his client to refrain from bringing so many people to court,in obstruction of decorum.

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The court was hearing a petition filed by Dargah Hazrat Khwaja Mansurul in Bhandup against Pakistani national Sayyed Waseem-ur-Rehman Shah. The dargah has alleged that Shah is trying to usurp their land.

Shah had turned up for proceedings with a large crowd, who, HC was told, were his followers. The division bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice S S Jadhav also noted that police had to be brought in to maintain the crowd.

The court earlier expressed concern that despite having offences registered against him, Shah roamed freely in the city, sometimes in a red-beacon car. The state said the car, belonging to one Mohammed Umar Asar, is used by a government-aided institution. Shah submitted he does not own a car, but would travel in one on invitation. “Even if a minister asks me to accompany him, I would.”

“Has there been any instance when you have sat in a minister’s car?” justice Oka asked.

The court was unhappy with the state for its lax attitude in the investigation of offences against Shah. When the court asked why the Centre had not been informed of offences registered against Shah, additional public prosecutor Ajay Gadkari said the state would do so immediately.