HC issues notice to police, Lahane in atrocities case

The Bombay High Court today issued a notice to police and T P Lahane, dean of state-run J J Hospital, seeking their replies to a petition challenging the anticipatory bail granted to Lahane in an atrocities case here.
Justice A R Joshi was hearing the petition filed by Naresh Waghela, the sweeper against whom Lahane had allegedly made a casteist remark, seeking that the dean's anticipatory bail be cancelled.
On February 14, Waghela had lodged a case alleging he was verbally abused by Lahane who also made a derogatory casteist remark.
According to the complaint, Lahane got into a fight with Waghela when the latter asked another sweeper to stop working as all the temporary class-four workers of the hospital were on strike demanding permanency of their jobs.

An FIR was lodged against Lahane under section 3(1) and 10 of Atrocities Act and under Indian Penal Code.
The sessions court had on February 27 granted anticipatory bail to Lahane on a cash surety of Rs 15,000.
Waghela challenged this saying the sessions court should not have gone into the merit of the case while deciding the anticipatory bail application but should have looked into whether custodial interrogation was necessary or not.
The high court today issued notices to the police and Lahane and directed them to file their replies within three weeks.