Hearing on D S Shekhawat's suicide abetment case adjourned

Nagpur, Jun 28 (UNI) The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court today adjourned for two weeks the hearing on a petition filed by Devi Singh Shekhawat, husband of UPA Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil, seeking quashing of criminal proceedings against him on a charge of abetment to suicide.

The single bench of Justice A P Lavande set July 12 as the next date of hearing.

The case pertains to the alleged suicide by Dr Kisan Dhage, a teacher in one of the schools of Vidya Bharati Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, controlled by Mr Shekhawat. Dhage allegedly ended his life by consuming poison at his native place, village Songaon in Jalgaon-Jamod tehsil in Buldhana district on November 15, 1998. He left behind a suicide note alleging that he was taking the extreme step because of harassment by Mr Shekhawat and others.

On July 25, 2000, Dhage's widow Mangala approached the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Jalgaon-Jamod with a private criminal complaint, alleging that the police had not registered an offence in connection with her husband's suicide. The JMFC issued orders to the police to initiate criminal proceedings in the case against Mr Shekhawat and three others.

Mr Shekhawat initially approached the High Court here against the JMFC's ruling. However, he later withdrew and filed a revision petition before JMFC Jalgaon-Jamod seeking to get the criminal proceedings against him quashed. The revision petition was dismissed by JMFC, and Mr Shekhawat approached the High Court here again against the order.

While issuing notice on April 11 last, Mr Justice Lavande also stayed proceedings against Mr Shekhawat and the three others initiated in the trial court.

UNI