Police Commissioner, DM appear before HC

The city Police Commissioner and the District Magistrate today appeared before the Gujarat High Court in connection with a plea against possible invocation of Prevention of Anti-social Activities Act (PASA).
Justice M R Shah had on April 24 ordered the Ahmedabad District Magistrate Rajkumar Beniwal to remain present, in response to the petition filed by Waseemuddin Shaikh whohas sought the court's direction to the police not to invoke PASA against him. The petition said he anticipated arrest.
A first information report was filed against Shaikh under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in January after a cow was seized from his possession.

The petition said that PASA cannot be invoked on the basis of a single FIR and the registered offence had had no impact on the law and order situation.
However, despite the HC order, the police or the District Magistrate did not file any reply in the case, following which the High Court ordered the Commissioner Shivnanad Jha and District Magistrate Beniwal to appear before it.
Beniwal later said that "we have informed the High Court that we did not get any application in this regard and hence there is no question of slapping PASA".