The Bombay High Court has issued notices to the Home department of Maharashtra in connection with cases lodged against farmers for sowing genetically modified (GM) brinjal and BT cotton.
A bench of justices P N Deshmukh and P V Ganediwala was on Monday hearing petitions filed by farmers Lalit Bahale and Laxmikant Kauthkar.
On June 10 and 24, several farmers under the aegis of the Shetkari Sanghatana had sowed such seeds in Akot and Hirawad areas of Akola district, following which FIRs were registered against 30 people at two local police stations based on complaints by the state Agriculture department.
Satish Borulkar, the lawyer for the petitioners, told PTI that the seeds were available in the market and were legitimately purchased by Bahale and Kauthkar.
The HC also asked police not to take any coercive action till the state government submits a reply on the notices in six weeks time.
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