Juhu molestation case: BJP legal cell flays R R Patil

MUMBAI: The legal cell of the state BJP on Saturday criticised Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil for giving an audience to the accused in Juhu molestation case.
     
In a meeting of the BJP legal cell chaired by its President Pradeep Parulekar, the party condemned the Deputy Chief Minister for meeting the 14 accused in the Juhu molestation case.
     
Patil should not have met the accused when investigation is on, even if they were released on bail. This may bring down the morale of the police, said a release.
     
Recalling a similar example, the release added a couple of years back, the Deputy CM had met a youth had knocked down a traffic police to death.
     
BJP's criticism of Patil comes in the wake of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray meeting the Dy CM along with accused at his home on Jan 10 and requesting him not to approach session court challenging bail of 14 accused.
    
Thackeray had openly defended the accused saying that they were innocent and that they being Maharashtrians could not have molested the two NRI women.
    
A group of 50-70 people had molested two NRI women on the New Year's Day in front of a five-star hotel here. 14 persons, arrested in this connection, were later released on bail.
   
However, the session court on Thursday issued notices to the 14 accused for their alleged involvement in molestation case. They have been asked to present in the court on February 4.