Mumbai, October 2024 — The Bombay High Court has quashed an FIR against a lawyer who had shouted the phrase “Pannas Khoke Ekdum Okay” during a protest against Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader, Eknath Shinde. The court found that the statement made by the lawyer did not amount to an offense under Indian law, and there was no evidence to suggest any intent to incite violence or harm.
The lawyer, identified as Anil Patil, had raised the controversial slogan during a public protest, which was organized to voice discontent against the Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction. The phrase, loosely translated as “Fifty rupees, absolutely okay,” was interpreted by some as an expression of disdain toward the politician, suggesting that political support could be bought cheaply.
Eknath Shinde, a senior leader of the faction, had initially filed the complaint alleging that Patil’s remarks were defamatory and amounted to an insult to his dignity. The FIR was registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 504 (intentional insult) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation).
However, the Bombay High Court, while hearing the lawyer’s plea to quash the FIR, observed that the statement was made in a public context as part of a protest and did not specifically target Shinde in a way that would warrant criminal action. The court ruled that no offense had been committed and that the statements made were “political in nature” and not defamatory or inciting violence.
The court’s decision has been seen as a significant ruling in the context of free speech during political protests. Legal experts have noted that the judgment reinforces the importance of protecting expressions of dissent, even if they are critical of public figures, as long as they do not cross the line into hate speech or incitement to violence.
This ruling is expected to have broader implications for future cases involving public expressions and political dissent, particularly in politically charged environments like Maharashtra.