Court has directed government pleader Manisha Lavkumar and additional public prosecutors JK Shah and Ronak Raval to take up the matter with the concerned department.
State high court has taken a strong view against those elected representatives who thought fit to recommend temporary bail for convicts on various grounds.
Coming down heavily on them, the court not only demanded written apologies from them in person on Wednesday, but directed the principal secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development and the principal secretary of Urban Housing and Development to issue notifications teaching them their duties, dos and don’ts.
The seventh division bench of justice Abhilasha Kumari and justice AJ Shastri, while rejecting five temporary bail applications, observed, “If such recommendations came through once in a while, the court might have ignored them. But with each second temporary bail application, the convict is carrying a certificate from either the village sarpanch or a local councillor. It is not a part of their duty and is an attempt to influence the court. This has become a menace and a fashion. It is a direct interference in judicial proceedings and it cannot be tolerated further.”
The court further opined, “It is clearly visible that these elected representatives are hand in gloves with the convicts and their family members. Instead of doing their duties, either under the Gujarat Panchayat Act or under the Gujarat Municipality Act, they are overzealous in recommending temporary bails. Their letterheads and seals are either lying at their homes or at a local paan/grocery shop instead of the panchayat office. Illiterate sarpanch’s certificates are either drafted by convict’s family members or by their husbands or sons. It seems as though this has become a family affair.”
Court has directed government pleader Manisha Lavkumar and additional public prosecutors JK Shah and Ronak Raval to take up the matter with the concerned department.
Unwanted limelight
Ramesh Solanki, sarpanch of Ingorada village in Bhavnagar, for convict Shamjibhai Parmar
Vasant Thakor, sarpanch of Vahedpura village in Patan, for convict Shaktabhai Thakor
Chetnaben Patel, sarpanch of Sankaliaata in Panchmahal, for convict Rajesh Patel
Shardaben Baraiya, sarpanch of Khanpur village in Panchmahal, for convict Ramsingh Pandor
Councillor Babuhai Vasava of Bharuch municipality for convict Sandip Chauhan
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