Mah Assembly resolves not to respond to SC letter on Sethi's plea

Nagpur, Dec 15 (UNI) The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today unanimously resolved not to respond to a letter from the Supreme Court on a special leave petition (SLP) from Mumbai Dance Bar Owners Association President Manjit Singh Sethi challenging his sentence of 90 days' imprisonment by the House, for certain remarks he made about the members.

The Bombay High Court earlier rejected a petition from Sethi challenging the decision of the Assembly. Sethi has filed a SLP before the Supreme Court against the ruling.

Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar told the House today that the Supreme Court had written to him on Sethi's SLP, requesting that he be present during the hearing. However, leaders of various party groups in the House had opined that the Speaker should neither respond to the letter nor appear in the court, Mr Kupekar said.

The group leaders opined that the legislature and the judiciary should not interfere in each other's working.

The House then resolved that the Speaker should respond neither to the present nor any future notice, and should not be present in the court either now or in the future in connection with Sethi's case.

The House also resolved that the same stand be adopted for any other case in the future. The resolution was adopted unanimously by a voice vote.

The House had sentenced Sethi to imprisonment of 90 days for certain remarks that he made against the members during an agitation against the government's decision to ban dance bars in the State.

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