Contempt charges against two cops dropped

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Contempt charges against two cops droppedTNN | Updated: Jun 22, 2017, 11.42 PM IST
Mumbai: Bombay high court on Thursday dropped contemptproceedings against two police officers who allowed loudspeakers to be played inside the compound of Mahim police station.

The court had on April 21 issued contempt notices to senior inspector Milind Idekar of Mahim police station and assistant commissioner of police Shivlan Dhovale. The loudspeakers were used on the first day of the Mahim Dargah festival on December 13, 2016. The police station is built where the Sufi saint Makhdum Ali Mahimi lived. The court heard a contempt plea by NGO Awaaz Foundation, which said the area is a silence zone with a balwadi next door.

A bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka said it was a gross breach of the HC's order as not only were loudspeakers allowed to be used in the precinct of the police station but permission was granted to use it in a silence zone. It accepted as an undertaking directions issued by the state to the cops not to grant permission to loudspeakers in the precinct of the police station. The state said it issued a letter of displeasure to Dhovale and a stern warning to Idekar.

Taking a lenient view, the judges acknowledged that the officers have tendered their unconditional apologies. "We make it clear that any further breach by the contemnor/state it will be a case of aggravated contempt,'' they added, and discharged the contempt notices.

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