The Bombay High Court has mandated a three-week deadline for the police to conclude their investigation into a UK-based doctor's social media posts allegedly targeting BJP leaders, addressing concerns about indefinite detention.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the police to finish their probe against UK-based doctor Sangram Patil, booked over his social media posts allegedly targeting BJP leaders, within three weeks, saying a person cannot be held indefinitely.
Advocate General Milind Sathe said the probe would be completed within three weeks, failing which the police would have no objection to suspending the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against Patil.
The doctor should, however, submit an undertaking to the court that he would appear before the police and cooperate with the probe as and when it is genuinely required, Sathe told the court.
A single bench of Justice Ashwin Bhobe accepted the submission and directed Patil to submit an undertaking and posted the matter for further orders on May 5.
Patil had filed a petition in HC challenging an FIR and a Look Out Circular issued against him, due to which he was unable to travel to the UK.
The city police had booked Patil in December last year for his alleged objectionable remarks against BJP leaders.
Patil's counsel Rajiv Shakdher told the court that the doctor was stuck in India due to the FIR and LOC against him since January, and he now faces the threat of losing his job in the UK.
"He regrets if his social media posts have hurt anyone's sentiments. But it is like he is stuck in an open-air jail here," Shakdher said.
When the bench questioned Sathe as to how long the investigation would go on, the advocate general said it would take three months as certain reports pertaining to Patil's other social media posts are awaited.
Justice Bhobe, however, noted that three months was too long a time.
"You (police) cannot hold a person like this indefinitely or you complete the investigation at the earliest," the court said.
Sathe then said the probe would be completed in three weeks, failing which the police do not have an objection if the LOC is suspended.
"However, he (Patil) should submit an undertaking that he would appear before the police as and when required for the investigation," Sathe said.
Shakdher said Patil has no objection to submitting such an undertaking.
The high court posted the next hearing for May 5 to accept the undertaking and pass further orders regarding the lifting of the LOC.