Hon’ble Joint Civil Judge Senior Division and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shri Tejwant Angrejsingh Sandhu. (Pic: The Voice of Malegaon)
In a first, the Hon’ble Bombay High Court has appointed a Special Court for Malegaon to try criminal cases against elected representatives namely Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of Legislative Council (MLCs).
The HC has identified and designated Judge Shri Tejwant Angrejsingh Sandhu, Joint Civil Judge Senior Division and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, as Special Judge who will be the Presiding Officer of the newly-appointed Court.
The Special Court has been empowered to hold trials for criminal cases against both past and present elected representatives. The Special Court has also been given power to try criminal cases “pending before the Court of Magistrate”.
An order to this effect was issued by the Bombay High Court vide notification No A – 1228 / 2342 / 2023 on December 08, 2023. The said designation has been done in pursuance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directions issued through Writ Petition (C) No 699 of 2016.
With this order, Malegaon has been given a Special MPs and MLAs’ Court that will be holding criminal trials of past and present elected representatives. This designation will allow the Special Court to hold trials in such special cases on a priority basis.
Judge Sandhu, as Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, has already been hearing a criminal defamation case filed by Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Dada Bhuse against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Raut who also happens to be the Executive Editor of Marathi daily, Saamana.
The said criminal defamation case has been initiated by Minister Bhuse over the latter’s “defamatory” article in the daily Saamana alleging Rs 178 crore fraud on the former committed in the name of reviving the Girna Sugar Cooperative Factory.
