PRAKASH WAMAN SHINDE Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These four petitions have been filed by one common petitioner Prakash Waman Shinde. His grievance is about the incident dated 22nd August, 1983 in which three police officers, that is to say, one Inspector of Police, a sub-inspector of Police and a Police Constable allegedly caught hold of the petitioner who had parked his auto-rickshaw at the lawful place and hauled him up to the Police Station at about 8.30 a.m. on that date, arrested him quite illegally, kept him in the police lock-up till 8.30 p.m. concocted some trumped up charges against him, made him shell out a total sum of Rs. 800/- as deposits at the Police Station by way of bail and released him thereafter only to have the said amount of Rs. 800/- forfeited by the Metropolitan Magistrate on the next day in the circumstances beyond the control of the petitioner.

(2.) The facts out of which this present petition arises can be gathered only from the averments made in the petition. So far as the record of the lower Court and the record at the Police Station are concerned, very little assistance is received for understanding even the prosecution case from that record.

(3.) All the four cases, really speaking, arise out of the one and the same incident, though technically, they had to be instituted separately. As a matter of fact, a consolidated receipt of Rs. 800/- has been given by the Police Officer to the petitioner for the bail of Rs. 200/- in respect of each of the charges. The entire question has got to be disposed of on the backdrop of a common background. Hence, all these petitions are being disposed of by me by this common judgment.