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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.

Photographs of the brutal murder proved last straw

Updated: Mar 6, 2025

Santosh Deshmukh

Mumbai: Beaten with rods, urinated on him, the shocking torture and unspeakable brutality on Santosh Deshmukh which came to light through photographs shook the Maharashtra politics which led to minister Dhananjay Munde’s ouster.


Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district was abducted by six men in an SUV on December 9 afternoon at Dongaon toll plaza and taken towards Kej taluka. He was found unconscious at Daithna Shivar that evening. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead. According to police officials, he was beaten for over two hours with a gas pipe, an iron rod, wooden sticks and sharp weapons.


The police investigation following the murder of Deshmukh revealed the cruelty and violent behaviour of the assailants. Nearly three months on, state minister Dhananjay Munde has resigned amid outrage over the killing that allegedly involved his top aide. The probe found that Santosh Deshmukh had tried to stop an extortion attempt targeting a windmill energy firm operating in the region and the mastermind of his killing was Munde's aide Walmik Karad.


The Police have recently filed the chargesheet. It categorically said that Santosh Deshmukh was tortured before being killed and the assailants recorded 15 videos, clicked eight photos and even made two video calls to document the brutality. In one of the videos mentioned in the chargesheet, five accused are seen thrashing slain sarpanch with a white pipe and a wooden stick, and kicking and punching him. The video shows Deshmukh in a half-naked condition. Another video shows one of the accused urinating on him as he bleeds heavily.


Walmik Karad, the prime accused in the chilling murder case, is a close aide of NCP leader and minister Dhananjay Munde. As Karad’s alleged role in the shocking murder emerged during the probe, the opposition started demanding action. The Crime Investigation Department's (CID) 1,200-page charge sheet provided more ammo to the opposition. As chilling visuals documenting the brutality suffered by Deshmukh flashed on social media and TV screens the pressure started mounting on CM Devendra Fadnavis.


As public outcry took the momentum Fadnavis had a meeting with deputy chief minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar to discuss the political fallout of the chargesheet and what the investigation revealed about Karad's alleged role. Eventually, he pulled the plug and Munde was asked to resign. The demand for Munde’s resignation was persistent. However, videos and photos of the incident turned to be a last straw forcing Munde’s exit.


36 murder cases in Beed

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday informed the state assembly that 36 murder cases were registered in Beed district from January to October 2024.

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