HC to hear petition against Thackery on Sep 14

Mumbai, Sep 8 (UNI) Bombay High Court today fixed September 14 as the date of hearing a criminal contempt petition filed by two civil rights organisations against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray for allegedly threatening lawyers if they defended the July 11 serial blasts accused.

The petition filed by Indian Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) and the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) was today mentioned before Division Bench consisting of Justice B H Marpalle and Justice N H Patil who fixed hearing of the petition after partly hearing Advocate Yug Choudhri.

The petition was filed after Maharashtra Advocate General Ravi Kadam gave his consent to initiate proceedings against Mr Thackeray under the Contempt of Court Act.

Mr Thackeray had allegedly warned lawyers against defending the accused in the blast case during a meeting on July 16 to condole the July 11 serial blasts victims.

The court was today told that in the condolence meeting Mr Thackeray had said that his party would organise a protest against such lawyers. Therefore petitioners feel that such statement is amount to interfering in the judicial process and would intimidate lawyers and deter them from appearing for the accused, he said.

Meanwhile, on August 14, Advocate General Kadam, while giving his consent to the petitioner, held that he was satisfied that Mr Thackeray's statement prima facie amounts to criminal contempt of court and can be proceeded against for contempt of court.

UNI XR-LS MJ MSJ MIR BST1855