The Bombay High Court today dismissed a social worker's plea seeking to intervene and oppose anticipatory bail sought by controversial self-styled 'godwoman' Radhe Maa in a case of alleged dowry harassment.
The application by Ramesh Joshi, who claims to be office-bearer of several NGOs, was dismissed by Justice Reveti Mohite-Dhere on the ground that his plea was without merits.
In another relief to her, the HC allowed her to appear before the police station concerned in Mumbai (Borivali) as and when required instead of every Wednesday as directed earlier.
On August 13, a sessions court in suburban Dindoshi had rejected her anticipatory bail plea in a case of alleged dowry harassment filed by a woman, whose in-laws are her followers.
Aggrieved, she moved the high court the next day seeking urgent relief. The HC, on August 14, had granted her interim pre-arrest bail.
Mumbai Police had filed the case against Radhe Maa on August 5 for allegedly instigating the in-laws of the 32-year-old woman, a housewife, to harass her for dowry. The case was filed after a Borivali magistrate asked the police to probe the charges levelled by the woman.
Counsel for the self-styled 'godwoman', Abad Ponda, argued in the HC that except Radhe Maa, other six accused in the dowry case, including the husband of the complainant (housewife), had been given protection from arrest by the trial court.
In her petition, she denied all the allegations, saying she had never instigated the family members and that she was being dragged into the case only because the complainant's in-laws were her followers.
She alleged the complainant had levelled allegations against her only to secure a favourable order from the Family Court in a dowry case filed by her against her in-laws. She claimed she was being "framed up" by the complainant.
While the HC has granted her interim anticipatory bail as a temporary relief, her petition seeking protection from arrest has been posted for final hearing on October 5.
