HC quashes case against doctor who had treated Pune bus driver

The Bombay High Court today quashed a case against a doctor who was facing the charge of giving false evidence before the Pune court during the trial of the State Transport driver Santosh Mane who mowed down nine people after hijacking a bus in Pune on January 25, 2012.
A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and P D Kode quashed the proceedings against Dr Dilip Burte.
Burte, a Solapur-based psychiatrist, had filed an appeal against the order of the magistrate directing police to lodge a First Information Report against him. The High Court set it aside and sent the matter back to the magistrate for a fresh consideration.

Burte had treated Mane for mental illness between February-April 2010, said his lawyer, Ashutosh Kumbhkoni.
After Mane's arrest, police approached Burte and collected prescriptions and other case papers.
Burte was also examined as a defence witness by Mane before the trial court, where he testified that Mane was suffering from mental illness and had undergone treatment at his hospital in 2010.
However, after holding that Mane's mental health was sound and convicting him, the sessions judge issued a notice to Burte asking him why proceedings should not be initiated against him for giving false evidence.
Not satisfied with Burte's reply, the sessions judge asked the Registrar, District Courts, Pune, to lodge a complaint against him for giving a false evidence. A magistrate's court issued a summons and asked the police to lodge FIR.