In a relief to Dr T P Lahane, dean of the state-run J J Hospital here who is facing a case under the Prevention of Atrocities Act for allegedly hurling a casteist abuse, the Bombay High Court today granted him protection from arrest till February 20.
Justice Sadhana Jadhav said Dr Lahane may approach the sessions court to seek anticipatory bail in the meantime.
Earlier, Lahane's lawyer senior advocate Ashok Mundargi contended that the allegation was false.
He also said Dr Lahane moved the High Court directly because the police did not provide a copy of the first information report (FIR), without which the lower court would not hear the bail plea.
On February 14, Narayan Waghela, a temporary sweeper with J J hospital, lodged a complaint alleging that Dr Lahane hurled abuse at him and passed a casteist remark.
According to the complaint, Waghela had asked another sweeper to stop working as all the temporary workers were on strike demanding permanent job, which led to the tiff between him and Dr Lahane.
Police registered complaint under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act).
Mundargi today argued that the dean never made any remarks about anyone's caste, and he has been falsely implicated.
The judge asked the government lawyer how Dr Lahane could have referred to complainant's caste when he did not even know Waghela's name.
"Protection can be granted for a limited time. The applicant (Lahane) is protected from arrest till February 20 for the limited purpose of allowing him to approach the sessions court to seek anticipatory bail," she said.
Lahane, who is a Padma Shri awardee, has also filed another petition seeking to quash the FIR.
