GOVIND PANSARE MURDER CASE

Kolhapur

Sanatan Prabhat

Sanstha

Kalamba

Sameer Patwardhan

Shivajirao Rane

Patwardhan

Abhay Vartak

Taking serious objection to articles published in the, the mouthpiece of the Hindu Right-wing outfit Sanatan, the Kolhapur district and sessions court on Saturday issued a contempt of court notice.The order was passed based on the publication’s proclamations that both accused in the 2015 murder of Left leader Govind Pansare are innocent; it went on to add that the members’ ‘oppressors’ would get a ‘double punishment’ in the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ that the group wishes to establish.The court considered this as interference in ongoing legal proceedings and a pressure tactic to influence the court. In the notice, the publication was given 10 days to clarify its stand, and the authority of thejail administration in Kolhapur to check everything that goes into the prison was reiterated.The court issued the notice after Sanstha defence lawyercomplained that despite instructions from the court, the authorities at the Jail have not provided some books and a few weekly issues of the Sanatan Prabhat to prime accused in the murder, Sameer Gaikwad. He said that since August 2016, the jail has been sending back weekly issues of Sanatan Prabhat, not giving them to the accused.Judge Bile then opened on issue of Sanatan Prabhat and asked special public prosecutor (SPP)to read it out; the latter read out the objectionable part in question.The move backfired onas the judge served a notice to the Sanstha, asking for a clarification. The judge further said that the jail administration has all the right to check any articles being sent to the accused, adding that they should keep a strict tab on all objectionable content.Patwardhan then tendered an apology and told the court anything objectionable would be withdrawn from issues henceforth.Asked about the development, Sanstha spokespersonsaid, “It was a misinterpretation of our article. There was no contempt of court motive. We will clarify this in our written reply.”Quizzed about whether the contentious issue has been taken down from the group’s website, he said, “The court gave us no such instruction.”