Bombay HC grants pre-arrest bail to Gunratna Sadavarte

PTI, Apr 26, 2022, 8:25 PM IST

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted pre-arrest bail to lawyer Gunratna Sadavarte in a case registered against him by the Pune police for allegedly making an objectionable remark about MP Sambhaji Raje.

Sadavarte walked out of the Arthur Road prison in Mumbai on Tuesday evening after securing bail in all the FIRs that he is facing.

If arrested, Sadavarte should be released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and sureties of equal amount, Justice Vinay Joshi of the High Court said.

The relief will be on the condition that he shall not commit a similar offence in future, the HC said. He was also asked to appear before the investigation officer on May 4, 5 and 6 and cooperate with the probe.

A First Information Report was registered against the lawyer by Pune Police in 2020 for allegedly making an objectionable remark against Sambhaji Raje during a TV show.

The lawyer was arrested earlier this month in connection with the violent protests staged by striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) outside Silver Oak, the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, here. Sadavarte claims that he represents the agitating MSRTC employees who are on strike since last October.

He was granted bail in that case last week, but arrested by Satara Police in a case registered in 2020 for allegedly making an objectionable remark against former MP Udayanraje Bhosale and Sambhaji Raje.

He was later handed over to Kolhapur police, after a case was registered in Kolhapur against him for allegedly making provocative statements against the Maratha community. A local court subsequently granted him bail.