The Bombay High Court today asked Maharashtra government to consider establishing a separate police station in a city locality where the anti-social elements are allegedly having a field day and crimes such as drug peddling and house-breaking are on the rise.
The division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Revati Mohite-Dere was hearing a petition filed by advocate Charanjit Chandrapal, alleging that activities of anti-social elements were making life difficult in Sardar Nagar locality of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar area of suburban Sion-Koliwada.
"We direct police to consider setting up a police station in the area and if that is not possible, at least a police chowky should be built to ensure that law and order is restored in the area," said the judges.
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The bench also directed police to take preventive steps such as externing the anti-social elements from the area.
Earlier, advocate Chandrapal's wife and four other residents had filed a PIL. The HC had then directed the police to patrol the area regularly and post constables. But the situation deteriorated again later, the judges noted today.
Chandrapal himself was assaulted recently by some goons after the PIL was filed. The lawyer had moved the HC for quashing a case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act filed against him, which he said was false. The PIL filed by his wife and four others was also heard simultaneously.
The HC had last month taken a serious note of the assault of the lawyer and asked the police not to arrest him.
