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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court...

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court that the state would file its reply within a week in the matter.   Indian-origin Dr. Patil, hailing from Jalgaon, is facing a criminal case here for posting allegedly objectionable content involving Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on social media.   After his posts on a FB page, ‘Shehar Vikas Aghadi’, a Mumbai BJP media cell functionary lodged a criminal complaint following which the NM Joshi Marg Police registered a FIR (Dec. 18, 2025) and subsequently issued a LoC against Dr. Patil, restricting his travels.   The complainant Nikhil Bhamre filed the complaint in December 2025, contending that Dr. Patil on Dec. 14 posted offensive content intended to spread ‘disinformation and falsehoods’ about the BJP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.   Among others, the police invoked BNSS Sec. 353(2) that attracts a 3-year jail term for publishing or circulating statements or rumours through electronic media with intent to promote enmity or hatred between communities.   Based on the FIR, Dr. Patil was detained and questioned for 15 hours when he arrived with his wife from London at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Jan. 10), and again prevented from returning to Manchester, UK on Jan. 19 in view of the ongoing investigations.   On Wednesday (Jan. 21) Dr. Patil recorded his statement before the Mumbai Police and now he has moved the high court. Besides seeking quashing of the FIR and the LoC, he has sought removal of his name from the database imposing restrictions on his international travels.   Through his Senior Advocate Sudeep Pasbola, the medico has sought interim relief in the form of a stay on further probe by Crime Branch-III and coercive action, restraint on filing any charge-sheet during the pendency of the petition and permission to go back to the UK.   Pasbola submitted to the court that Dr. Patil had voluntarily travelled from the UK to India and was unaware of the FIR when he landed here. Sathe argued that Patil had appeared in connection with other posts and was not fully cooperating with the investigators.

Messy Congress makes Uddhav stronger

Uddhav

Mumbai: The recent developments in the Congress has made Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray stronger in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).


Thackeray was looking on a sticky wicket before the Assembly elections were announced. However, the Congress has given him a lot of strength by removing its state unit president Nana Patole as the party’s chief negotiator to discuss seat sharing within the MVA.


Patole had taken a firm stand that the Congress should not leave 12 seats for the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Vidarbha region, his home turf, as demanded by Thackeray. Patole was of the opinion that Thackeray’s party did not deserve more than eight seats in the region.


Patole made his thoughts public leading to uneasiness in Thackeray’s party. It resulted in Thackeray issuing a warning to the Congress against the highhandedness. As a responsible official Patole’s stand was correct in the interest of the Congress. However, his bosses in the party sidelined him as chief negotiator and appointed a lenient Balasabeb Thorat as his replacement.


The Congress’ act has underpinned that Thackeray would remain the biggest influencer in the MVA.


The Congress has many leaders at the top but none having a statewide popularity or recognition. Their decision making is invariably through high command in Delhi necessitating approval of Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi. In contrast Shiv Sena (UBT) decisions are instantaneous in line with their party culture prevailing right from its conception, which is, at times, appreciated by masses. Hence even Uddhav’s demand of declaring himself as CM- face is unrealistic, Congress is finding it difficult to reject it outright.


Congress is compelled to soft-peddle the issue since if threats of Sena-UBT going alone actually materialis, the biggest loser will be Congress. The party is aware that emerging as the largest group of MPs in Maharashtra in recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, would not have been possible without getting share of Shiv Sena (UBT) voters. Hence to regain the foothold in Maharashtra, Congress needs Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance to continue to milk the benefit.


Nana Patole may have many opponents in the state Congress but even his big critics admit that he has given wings to the party in Vidarbha. Patole is in the best position to judge the situation in the region. His image of an aggressive OBC face of the party would have helped the party in the Kunbi dominated region that has 64 seats.


However, the Congress is just struggling to contain Thackeray’s unilateral decisions if not threats, potentially dwindling Congress’s prospects.

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