Mumbai News

Bombay HC extends time for state, political parties to file reply to PIL against bandh in Maharashtra – Times of India

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday extended by three weeks the time to Centre, state governments, as well as political parties Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to file their reply to a PIL filed by former Mumbai Police chief Julio Ribeiro, 92, and three other prominent senior citizens against what they termed, was “state-sponsored” bandh called last year.
The state through its counsel Jyoti Chavan said it was gathering material and sought three weeks time to file its reply. Senior counsel RD Soni appearing for the petitioners said what about the three political parties as they were the main respondents.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta on Tuesday, extending the time, said a rejoinder if any to be filed in a week thereafter and listed the public interest litigation after five weeks. The bench said, “Consequences will follow if affidavits are not filed within time and the court shall proceed with the PIL without affidavits” then with an understanding that they do not wish to file.
The PIL has sought compensation of Rs 3000 crore from the three political parties to the central and state governments and to the affected citizens, through a Bandh Loss Compensation Fund. The other petitioners included the now late Gerson Da Cunha, 92.
On January 20, the HC bench of CJ and Justice M S Karnik had said, the concern expressed in the PIL by four senior citizens of the city is in regard to the calling of a statewide Bandh on October 11, 2021, by the political parties in power. Such a bandh call was given to condemn the incident of violence at Lakhimpuri Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, and to express solidarity with the farmers. The petitioners allege that as a result of such state-sponsored bandh, it is the common people who have been inconvenienced and precious work hours lost.”
The court had last month while calling for replies from all respondents had said, “Although we quite appreciate the concern expressed in the PIL petition, yet, we wonder if any order of the court restraining the political parties from calling bandhs would have any impact on them, as well as how the amount of penalty collected would be distributed among the affected people.”

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/bombay-hc-extends-time-for-state-political-parties-to-file-reply-to-pil-against-bandh-in-maharashtra/articleshow/89434489.cms