An ongoing probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into a case of alleged gangrape and murder has come under scrutiny, with petitioner Satish Salian accusing authorities of bypassing mandatory legal procedures.
Illegal Probe Without FIR, Says Petitioner
In an application filed before the court on Wednesday, Salian raised serious objections to the SIT’s handling of the case. He argued that once information indicating a cognisable offence is received, police are duty-bound to first register a First Information Report (FIR) before proceeding with any investigation.
“The SIT has been probing a serious case of gangrape and murder without first registering an FIR, which is grossly illegal,” Salian submitted.
He further alleged that this was a clear violation of legal protocol and amounted to a disregard of the Supreme Court’s guidelines, which mandate registration of FIRs in all cognisable offences.
Court Orders Flouted, Says Salian
Highlighting what he called “wilful disobedience” of the court’s earlier directions, Salian also criticised the state’s approach. He pointed out that instead of seeking an affidavit from the police, as required, the Maharashtra government submitted one from the Chief Secretary.
“There has been wilful disobedience of the court order as an affidavit was sought from the Maharashtra government’s chief secretary and not the police,” Salian stated.
The affidavit submitted by the state only added that “further investigation is still being carried out,” without addressing the legality of the ongoing probe without an FIR.
Aditya Thackeray Moves Court To Intervene
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aditya Thackeray has filed a separate application, requesting the court to grant him a hearing before passing any order in the case.
In his plea, Thackeray described Salian’s petition as “false, frivolous, and motivated,” and sought to intervene in the proceedings to present his side of the matter.
What’s Next?
The court is expected to consider both applications in the coming days. While Salian is pushing for action against what he terms an unlawful investigation, Thackeray is challenging the very credibility of the petition.
As the legal battle intensifies, the focus now shifts to the court’s response on whether the SIT’s procedure will be allowed to continue or face judicial intervention over procedural lapses.
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