Latest news with #Gharat
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
HC questions state over removal of prosecutor in Payal Tadvi case, seeks affidavit
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday pulled up the Maharashtra government for abruptly removing special public prosecutor (SPP) Pradip Gharat from the case involving the abetment of suicide of Dr Payal Tadvi, without citing any reasons in its official order. The court directed the state to file an affidavit clarifying its stand. HC questions state over removal of prosecutor in Payal Tadvi case, seeks affidavit A division bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice MM Sathaye was hearing a petition filed by Abeda Tadvi, mother of the deceased doctor, challenging the state's March 7 notification removing Gharat from the high-profile case. Dr Payal Tadvi, a 26-year-old postgraduate medical student who belonged to the oppressed Tadvi Bhil caste--an Adivasi Muslim community, died by suicide on May 22, 2019, allegedly due to caste-based harassment by three senior colleagues — Dr Hema Ahuja, Dr Bhakti Meher and Dr Ankita Khandelwal — at the Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital. The three were arrested under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, but are currently out on bail. The trial has not yet commenced. In November 2024, while serving as SPP, Gharat moved an application seeking to implead Dr Yi Ching Ling Chung Chiang — then head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department — as a co-accused, for allegedly failing to act on repeated complaints of harassment made by Payal and her family. The application, based on the report of the college's anti-ragging committee and an early complaint by the family, was allowed by a special court on February 28, 2025. Just a week later, the state removed Gharat from the case, replacing him with advocate Mahesh Manohar Mule — a decision that was neither explained in the notification nor communicated with the victim's family, prompting Payal's mother to move the High Court. During Thursday's hearing, the bench questioned the rationale behind the government's move. 'The complainant has confidence in this special public prosecutor. Why disturb the situation?' the court asked. Responding on behalf of the state, additional public prosecutor Shreekant Gavand said Gharat had allegedly been acting independently without consulting the investigating officer or keeping them informed of court proceedings. 'He took the decision of impleading the new accused on his own,' Gavand said. He cited Rule 4(3) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995, which permits the state to denotify a special public prosecutor if he fails to conduct the case with due care — provided reasons are recorded in the denotification order. But the bench noted that no such reasons were mentioned in the official order removing Gharat. 'You have simpliciter withdrawn him. The law requires you to supply reasons. Now, reasons cannot be assigned after the decision is taken,' the court observed. The state has now been asked to file an affidavit responding to the petition, explaining its decision to replace Gharat.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Not paid a single paisa for 2021 murder trial: Spl PP
Mumbai: Advocate Pradip Gharat, assigned as special public prosecutor in the trial against two accused of the murder of 19-year-old Jhanvi Kukreja in 2021, has formally informed the sessions court that he has not received his legal fees for the last four years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Since I was appointed in the case in 2021 I have not been paid a single paisa. So far, 39 witnesses have been examined and three police officers remain. I had served them notice earlier too," Gharat said. He added that he had written to the senior inspector of Khar police station, where the case is registered, three times since March, but was given no information on when he would be paid. Gharat informed the court he has now issued a notice to police stating that if they don't respond about the pending dues, he would leave the case and may not attend the next hearing. The court has forwarded Gharat's written statement to the police station. Gharat further stated that this was not the first trial when his dues were unpaid or delayed. He said that he had to make similar complaints in another murder case that recently concluded. In April, dismissed police inspector Abhay Kurundkar (52) was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering assistant police inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore and chopping up her body in 2016. Her body parts were never found. Similarly, in an economic offences case, he is owed dues since 2016, Gharat said. Kukreja, a psychology student, lived in Santacruz. In the wee hours of Jan 1, 2021, her body was found in a pool of blood on the ground floor of Bhagwati Heights building in Khar (W), where she was attending a New Year's Eve party. Kukreja's friends, Diya Padalkar and Shree Jogdhankar, were arrested for allegedly assaulting her on the building staircase and murdering her. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kukreja's final post-mortem examination report stated that she had suffered 48 injuries. Padalkar, who was Kukreja's neighbour and childhood friend, is out on bail, while Jogdhankar is still in jail. They have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Gharat is also appointed as special public prosecutor for CBI in the cases against gangster Chota Rajan. Rajan (69) is lodged in Tihar jail, where he is serving a life sentence for the murder of journalist J Dey in 2011.
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
New Year's Eve murder case: SPP says he has not been paid dues
Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat Tuesday informed a court here, before which the trial in the New Year's Eve murder case of a 19-year-old is ongoing, that he has not been paid his dues. Gharat told the court during a hearing in the case that he has been appointed as the special public prosecutor (SPP) since 2021 but has not been paid even for a single hearing so far. He told the court that he had written thrice to the Khar Police senior inspector, and sent the officer messages about his dues but did not get any response. The court has directed that the pursis filed by Gharat informing it about the non-payment be forwarded to the Khar Police. Gharat informed the court that he has given the authorities 'sufficient time' to respond and if they fail to do so by the next hearing on June 16, he has no option but to step down from the case. On the intervening night of December 31, 2020 and January 1, 2021, Jhanvi Kukreja, a 19-year-old Khar resident, was allegedly murdered after a scuffle. The police arrested Kukreja's childhood friend, 19-year-old Diya Padalkar and 22-year-old Shree Jogdhankar, on charges of murder. Gharat was appointed as the SPP in 2021 and the trial in the case has been underway since 2023. On Tuesday, Gharat examined the 41st witness in the case. Following the examination, he informed the court that while he had conducted the trial which is almost at its fag end now with 3-4 witnesses remaining, he has not been paid his pending dues. Gharat told the court that if he does not receive any response, he will not be able to attend the next hearing. Gharat, who was the SPP in the Telgi scam, and is representing the CBI in the cases against gangster Chhota Rajan, including the murder of journalist J Dey where Rajan and others were sentenced to life imprisonment, was replaced earlier this year from case of the abetment of suicide of Dr Payal Tadvi. On March 7, the law and judiciary department issued the notification to cancel the appointment of Gharat with immediate effect and appointed another lawyer as the SPP. Appointed in many cases during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Gharat was also asked to step down in some cases of a political nature like the sedition case against former MP Navneet Rana.
