MUMBAI: In a relief for Marathi actor Ketaki
Chitale
and pharmacy student Nikhil Bhamre, the Bombay high court on Monday directed clubbing of all first information reports (FIRs) against them for their social media post against NCP president Sharad Pawar. There were 22 FIRs filed against Chitale and six against
Bhamre
across the state.
“We find no impediment for clubbing the FIRs,” said Justices Nitin Jamdar and
Nitin Borkar
on petitions by Chitale and Bhamre to quash all the FIRs and also club them as per the
Supreme Court
judgment in Amish Devgan’s case on multiplicity of FIRs. The judges directed that the first FIR lodged by Kalwa police against Chitale will be treated as principal FIR and all others be transferred to it. They issued similar directions for Bhamre, where the first FIR was filed at Naupada in Thane district.
The judges directed the state and complainants to file replies to Chitale’s and Bhamre’s petitions to declare their arrests illegal and for compensation before the next hearing on September 6. tnn
