Chargesheet in Mhase case to be filed soon: CBI to HC

Advocate Madhavi Mhase-Thube, daughter of Justice (retd) S B Mhase, is accused of demanding bribe of Rs 30 lakh from a litigant for obtaining favourable order from the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. Justice Mhase was president of the State Consumer Forum at the time.

Earlier, CBI had told the court that first report of voice samples in the case indicated that the voice was not that of Madhavi. However, samples had been sent to Chandigarh forensic lab for rechecking.

The Chandigarh lab has not yet sent the report, CBI said today, adding that it would not wait any longer and would file the chargesheet on the basis of the first reports.

The division bench of Justices Sharad Bobade and Mridula Bhatkar then asked CBI why it had decided to ignore the report of Chandigarh lab, and sought an affidavit to explain it by August 21.

Shakeel Meer Khan, a law student, has filed the present PIL, demanding that Justice Mhase step down from his post.

Madhavi Mhase-Thube was arrested in the case in October 2011. She is now out on bail.

Her associate, advocate Sunil Shirole, was arrested in November 2011. The petition also asks why the Bar Council of Maharashtra has not initiated disciplinary action against Mhase-Thube and Shirole.