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MUMBAI: Bombay high court has frowned at the state for withdrawing police protection to a father just when he is to depose as a witness at the trial before the Kalyan sessions court in the 2007 murder of his son.
“We fail to understand that from 2016 till 2023, the petitioner was granted police protection and that the said protection is withdrawn now when the trial has commenced and when it is time for the petitioner to step in the witness box,” observed Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Gauri Godse on June 15. The judges were hearing a petition by Dombivli resident Vandar Patil (71), a social worker and recipient of the President’s award for saving lives of seven or eight persons in 1984. He was a member of Kalyan Krushi Bazar Samiti.
Patil challenged the Thane police commissioner’s April 14 order withdrawing protection with effect from March 29 and also an April 24 notice to pay Rs 1.18 crore as outstanding protection fees for 2016-2023.
In February 2002, Patil received a Rs 10 lakh extortion call from a man who identified himself as a member of Manchekar gang. After his family members were manhandled at his residence by a group of 20-22 persons in March 2003, Patil was given police protection till 2006. His son Vijay was murdered in 2007.
Upon release on bail, five accused gave open threats to him and his younger son Sudhir. Patil’s petition said that he earns Rs 38,000 per month and is exempted by a July 2018 government resoution to give free protection to those with monthly income below Rs 50,000. Even as per Maharashtra Witness Protection and Security Act, 2017, he is entitled to protection.
On June 23, Vandar Patil’s advocates said that the trial had commenced and 14 out of 38 witnesses were examined. They said that at this juncture withdrawal of protection would make Patil vulnerable to any untoward incident.
“We fail to understand that from 2016 till 2023, the petitioner was granted police protection and that the said protection is withdrawn now when the trial has commenced and when it is time for the petitioner to step in the witness box,” observed Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Gauri Godse on June 15. The judges were hearing a petition by Dombivli resident Vandar Patil (71), a social worker and recipient of the President’s award for saving lives of seven or eight persons in 1984. He was a member of Kalyan Krushi Bazar Samiti.
Patil challenged the Thane police commissioner’s April 14 order withdrawing protection with effect from March 29 and also an April 24 notice to pay Rs 1.18 crore as outstanding protection fees for 2016-2023.
In February 2002, Patil received a Rs 10 lakh extortion call from a man who identified himself as a member of Manchekar gang. After his family members were manhandled at his residence by a group of 20-22 persons in March 2003, Patil was given police protection till 2006. His son Vijay was murdered in 2007.
Upon release on bail, five accused gave open threats to him and his younger son Sudhir. Patil’s petition said that he earns Rs 38,000 per month and is exempted by a July 2018 government resoution to give free protection to those with monthly income below Rs 50,000. Even as per Maharashtra Witness Protection and Security Act, 2017, he is entitled to protection.
On June 23, Vandar Patil’s advocates said that the trial had commenced and 14 out of 38 witnesses were examined. They said that at this juncture withdrawal of protection would make Patil vulnerable to any untoward incident.
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