Palghar FB case: Court dismisses Sena petition

The Palghar Sessions Court on Thursday rejected the protest petition by the Shiv Sena against the closure report in the case against Palghar girls Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan.

The closure report was filed by Boisar superintendent of police before the court on December 18, but the Shiv Sena’s Palghar unit president Bhushan Sankhe challenged the closure, and in a petition filed a fortnight ago, said that the girls’ comments had angered many people and therefore they should be summoned.

Sudhir Gupta, counsel for the girls, said the court ruling effectively confirms the closure of the case in which the girls were charged and arrested under the IPC and the IT Act for a lament on Facebook over the shutdown on the day of the funeral of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

The court said that the charges were irrelevant, as the girls had in no way violated any law and were only exercising their fundamental right to expression.

Kiran Gaikwad, counsel for Sankhe, said he would appeal the court order within 90 days, after receiving a copy of the judgement.

The girls came to know about the court decision through friends, who had seen the news flashed on TV screens and called to congratulate them. “When I woke up today, I prayed to Allah to help us overcome this obstacle to give us courage to fight against the odds. The judgement is a huge relief for us,” Dhada said. “The past two months have been traumatic. Even today I repent writing the status.”

Srinivasan expressed relief saying, “I cannot believe that the ordeal we have gone through is finally ending. We are really happy.”