Thane, Jul 30 (PTI) A magistrate’s court in Maharashtra’s Thane district has directed Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to appear before it in connection with a 17-year-old defamation complaint filed by late NCP leader Vasant Davkhare.
While Thackeray has been directed to appear in the court on August 5 to record his statement, Shinde has been called on August 6, a court official said, stressing that it is a procedure under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The CrPC section allows the judge to question the accused person directly. Its main goals are to let the accused explain the evidence against them and to follow the rule of fairness in court, the official said.
The matter pertains to the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, which saw a fierce contest in the Kalyan constituency between the then NCP candidate Vasant Davkhare and the undivided Shiv Sena’s Anand Paranjpe.
During the election campaign, Thackeray, then the executive president of the Sena, addressed a rally in Dombivali in support of Paranjpe. During the public meeting, Thackeray allegedly screened a controversial video featuring Davkhare.
The video purportedly showed the NCP leader telling his party workers to win the election at all costs, urging them not to be intimidated by the police or election officials.
Following the public screening, Davkhare filed a criminal case naming Thackeray, Shinde, Paranjpe and a few others as respondents.
Davkhare had claimed that the video was edited and doctored with the deliberate intent to malign his public image and defame him ahead of the polls.
The Shiv Sena, however, had maintained at the time that the video was authentic and demanded action against Davkhare, subsequently lodging a formal complaint with election officials. Paranjape eventually emerged victorious in the Kalyan constituency.
Advocate Nagesh Kamble has been representing late Davkhare in the court, while advocate Jayesh Vani has lawyer for the accused persons, a court official said.
The Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena split in 2022 following a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde. Shinde now heads the Shiv Sena, while Uddhav Thackeray leads the rival Shiv Sena (UBT). The Shiv Sena and the NCP, to which Davkhare belonged, are allies of the ruling BJP in Maharashtra. PTI COR NR
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.