Bombay HC clubbed all FIRs against Ketaki Chitale, Nikhil Bhamre for social media posts against NCP chief

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has clubbed all 22 FIRs against Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale and the six FIRs against student Nikhil Bhamre for their alleged social media posts against NCP Chief Sharad Pawar. Observing that there is no impediment in clubbing the FIRs, a division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and NR Borkar said, the first FIR filed against them must be treated as the main FIR and the remaining as statements under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure



Code.

The court was hearing separate petitions filed by Ms. Chitale and Mr. Bhamre, seeking to quash the petitions against them or alternatively club them all. While Public prosecutor Aruna Pai opposed the pleas for quashing of FIRs, no objection was made to clubbing of FIRs. The first FIR in Ms. Chitale case was lodged at Kalwa police station in Thane district, while the first FIR against Mr. Bhamre was lodged at Naupada police station in the same district.