Bombay High Court Pressure Forces Surrender in Mahad Election Violence Case
In a significant development highlighting judicial intervention in political matters, the Bombay High Court was informed on Friday that all accused from the Shiv Sena faction in the Mahad poll clash case have surrendered before local police. This comes just a day after the court sharply criticized the Maharashtra government for delays in arresting key individuals, including Vikas Gogawale, son of cabinet minister and Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale.
Court Proceedings and Surrender Details
Advocate General Milind Sathe, representing the state government, informed Justice Madhav J. Jamdar's single-judge bench that all accused named in the FIR against Shiv Sena members had surrendered. Sathe submitted official communication from the Mahad city police assistant commissioner confirming this development. The case stems from violent clashes between Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers during the Mahad Municipal Council elections in Raigad district last month.
Vikas Gogawale and his cousin Mahesh Gogawale were among those named in cross-FIRs filed after the election-day confrontation. The court had previously expressed serious concern about the "adversely affected rule of law" in Maharashtra, with Justice Jamdar questioning whether the chief minister was "so helpless that he can't do anything?" regarding the delayed arrests.
Parallel Developments Involving NCP Accused
Meanwhile, in a related development, Shreeyash Jagtap - son of former NCP MLA Manik Jagtap - sought to withdraw his pre-arrest bail application, which the court permitted on Friday. Jagtap had been granted interim protection from arrest earlier, but Justice Jamdar noted that the January 16 hearing had established the seriousness of the offense and that the applicant wasn't entitled to anticipatory bail.
After the judge indicated reluctance to grant anticipatory bail, Jagtap's lawyer requested withdrawal of the plea. The court dismissed the application as withdrawn, with Justice Jamdar orally remarking to state authorities: "Arrest them too (accused from the NCP faction). The only difference is he (Shreeyash Jagtap) is former MLA's son and this (Vikas) was minister's son."
Background of the Mahad Poll Clash Case
The violent incident occurred during municipal elections in Mahad, Raigad district, with both political parties filing cross-complaints against each other's workers. According to the NCP's version, Vikas Gogawale and Shiv Sena supporters approached them on motorcycles, threatened them, and assaulted one of Shreeyash Jagtap's supporters at a polling booth.
The Shiv Sena faction presented a different account in their FIR, claiming that while returning from polling centers, NCP workers threatened to kill them and allegedly fired a pistol at the Gogawale cousins. They asserted that they survived only because the pistol misfired, leading to subsequent clashes between rival groups.
Justice Jamdar had emphasized the political nature of the case during Thursday's hearing, stating: "He is a cabinet minister and his son is absconding and police are not able to arrest him. So, this is the position of rule of law in the state of Maharashtra? This is political and the offences are also related to election process. If government wishes, it can arrest anybody within 24 hours."
Following this strong observation, Advocate General Sathe had assured the court that the minister would contact his son and ensure his surrender by Friday morning - a commitment that appears to have been fulfilled with Friday's developments.
