[Social media posts against Sharad Pawar] Bombay High Court clubs FIRs against Ketaki Chitale, Nikhil Bhamre

The Bombay High Court on Monday clubbed twenty-two first information reports (FIRs) registered against Marathi actress Ketaki Chitale for alleged objectionable posts made by her on social media against the Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. .A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Nitin Borkar ordered that the FIRs registered against Chitale be transferred to Kalwa Police station in Thane district where the first FIR was registered.Similar order was passed with respect to six FIRs registered against Nashik resident Nikhil Bhamre which were clubbed and transferred to Naupada Police Station..The orders came to be passed in writ petitions filed by Chitale and Bhamre seeking amongst other reliefs, quashing of the FIRs registered against them. Their petitions also challenged their arrest and detention by police.The division bench today sought responses from the prosecution on the petitions and listed the same for further hearing on September 6..The first FIR against Chitale as well as Bhamre was lodged in May this year, for their alleged objectionable posts against Sharad Pawar. They were released on bail by lower courts in Thane last month..On Monday, the advocates on behalf of some of the complainants in the case were present before the Bench. This was after they were issued notice by the Court seeking their response on the clubbing of the FIRs against the two accused. The Bench had opined that it was imperative for the complainants to be heard before taking a decision on clubbing of the FIRs. When the Court specifically asked for their response, the advocates submitted that it was the court's prerogative to decide whether or not to club all FIRs. They, however, said that they should be heard on the aspect of quashing of the FIRs..Chief Public Prosecutor Aruna Pai, on the other hand, apprised the Court that as per the Supreme Court directive in the Amish Devgan case, in cases of multiple FIRs, the first FIR should be considered while the rest can be considered as statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).Accordingly, the bench clubbed all the FIRs against Chitale and Bhamre..The Bench also rejected applications by some complainants seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Chitale and Bhamre.A further directive was also issued to Bhamre to amend his petition as he had sought prosecution of the police officers, who allegedly wrongly arrested him.