Bombay High Court Summons Thane MP Naresh Mhaske Over Alleged Election Misrepresentation
Thane, 2nd August 2024: On Thursday, the Bombay High Court issued a summons to Naresh Mhaske, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Thane affiliated with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, following a petition by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Rajan Vichare. Vichare’s plea seeks the annulment of Mhaske’s election victory.
Vichare alleged that Mhaske falsely declared in his nomination papers that he had no prior convictions, despite having been convicted for rioting. Mhaske’s appeal against the conviction was rejected by the Thane sessions court.
Justice Riyaz Chagla, presiding over the case, ordered Mhaske and other involved parties to appear before the court on the next scheduled date to address Vichare’s claims, which aim to invalidate Mhaske’s election results.
Senior advocate Darius Khambata, representing Vichare, argued that Mhaske’s nomination papers incorrectly indicated ‘not applicable’ for sections requiring disclosure of criminal convictions. Khambata asserted that this omission constituted suppression of facts and warranted the cancellation of Mhaske’s election.
In a related matter, on July 29, Justice Sandeep Marne had also issued a summons to Ravindra Waikar from Shinde’s Sena, following an election petition by Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar, challenging Waikar’s election win in Mumbai North West.
Additionally, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former MP Vinayak Raut has filed a petition contesting the election of BJP leader Narayan Rane for the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat, with a hearing expected later this month.
