Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani will represent Sameet Thakkar, who is currently lodged in jail for criticising the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government through his social media posts. Thakkar is a victim of the witch-hunt by the Maharashtra government. He has been arrested three times in three weeks under different cases by the Mumbai Police.
It has been confirmed by OpIndia that senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani is taking up Thakkar’s case against the Uddhav Thackeray government.
The cases against Sameet Thakkar
Two FIRs were registered against Sameet Thakkar in Nagpur and at VP Road police station in Mumbai on July 2 for allegedly posting objectionable remarks against CM Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aditya Thackeray and Nitin Raut. Thakkar filed a petition in Bombay High Court seeking protection from arrest and quashing of FIRs against him. On 1st October, the court granted him protection from arrest and ordered him to cooperate in the investigation.
Another FIR was registered against him and eight others with BKC Cyber police by Shiv Sena’s legal consultant Advocate Dharmendra Mishra on August 5, 2020, for allegedly posting against Aditya Thackeray, alleging that he was linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Thakkar is currently facing three FIRs filed with Nagpur police, VP Road police, and BKC cyber police in relation to the comments posted by him.
Thakkar was first arrested on October 24 by Nagpur Sitabuldi police. He spent nine days in custody. On November 2, he was re-arrested by the VP Road police from court premises after a Nagpur court granted him bail. On November 10, he was arrested by BKC police after he was granted bail on November 9 in relation to the FIR lodged with VP Road police. He was sent to police custody till November 13, but as the courts will be closed till November 15, he can request bail only on or after November 16.