The Bombay High Court on Thursday
directed that CCTV footage of Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad's bungalow on the day a man was allegedly beaten up there be submitted to a magistrate.
Justice G S Kulkarni also sought the state government's response to a plea filed by the victim, Anant Karmuse, which seeks to make Awhad an accused and wants the case to be transfered to the CBI.
On April 8, a case of assault, kidnapping and criminal intimidation was registered against Awhad's unidentified supporters and policemen after Karmuse alleged that he was beaten up at the NCP leader's Thane residence over a Facebook post.
Five persons were subsequently arrested by Vartak Nagar police.
Karmuse, a civil engineer, had alleged that some police personnel visited him on April 5 and told him that he would have to go to the police station, but instead took him to Awhad's bungalow.
At the bungalow, he was allegedly beaten up black and blue by ten to fifteen men over a morphed picture of the minister he had shared on Facebook, Karmuse said. Awhad was present during the incident, he alleged.
The minister denied the allegations.
After brief arguments, Justice Kulkarni directed the police to secure CCTV footage of the relevant period from Awhad's residence and to submit it in a sealed cover to a magistrate in Thane.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing to April 30, asking the state to file reply.
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