Today (27th March) An advocate who purchased property once belonging to Dawood Ibrahim’s family faced threats from villagers, prompting him to file an FIR. The incident occurred after the advocate and his associate performed rituals on the property, with villagers allegedly causing a disturbance and stealing items.
Maharashtra: On 27th March, The Supreme Court Advocate Bhupendra Kumar Bharadwaj, who acquired fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s property in a 2020 auction, filed an FIR alleging theft, trespassing, and mischief by villagers in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra.
Bharadwaj stated that on February 23, 2024, while performing prayers on the plot with his associate, Niranjan Ramdas, villagers reportedly disrupted the rituals and stole necessary items.
Despite initial reluctance from local police to register his FIR, Bharadwaj persisted, resulting in the filing of the complaint on March 26, 2024, though he contends that the FIR should include Section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code concerning offenses against religious sentiments.
Section 295 A Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) criminalizes deliberate and malicious acts that offend the religious beliefs of any class of citizens of India. The punishment for these acts includes imprisonment for up to three years, a fine, or both.
In 1957, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the section in Ramji Lal Modi v. State of U.P..
The Court held that Section 295A does not penalize any and every act of insult to or attempt to insult any religion or the religious beliefs of a class of citizens.
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The 2020 auction saw Bharadwaj acquiring four parcels of land, intending to establish an “anti-terrorist national front.” These properties, previously owned by Dawood’s family and auctioned under the SAFEMA Act, are located in Ratnagiri’s Khed area.
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