Gurunath Sadashiv Phondekar v. The State Of Maharashtra

Digitally signed by GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD Date:

2025.08.04 16:08:57 +0530 GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD 501.WP-1789-2025.odt

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.1789 OF 2025 Gurunath Sadashiv Phondekar ....Petitioner

Versus

The State of Maharashtra ....Respondent ---- Mr. Kiran Varma a/w. Mr. Sudhanshu Sawant i/b. Advocate R.B. Mungekar for the Petitioner.

Mr. S.V. Gavand, Addl. PP for the Respondent - State. P.I. Bajirao Naik, Unit - II, EOW, Mumbai present. ---- CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE & GAUTAM A. ANKHAD, JJ.

DATE : 1st AUGUST, 2025 P.C. :- 1.

An extreme urgency was expressed by the learned Advocate for the Petitioner, at 11.00 a.m. Hence, this matter was taken on the production board in the second session, at 3.00 p.m. 2.

When this matter was called in the second session, the learned Addl. PP submitted that, along with the Petitioner, seven victims have jointly filed one protest application. Both protest applications are currently pending before the learned Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, 47th Esplanade Court, Mumbai (now Gauri Gaekwad

501.WP-1789-2025.odt the Chief Judicial Magistrate). He further submitted, on instructions, that the EOW would be filing its reply to the protest application filed by the seven victims. The reply to the Petitioner's protest application, was already filed in 2021. The next date of hearing before the learned Magistrate is scheduled for 22nd August, 2025. 3.

In view of the above, this Petition is disposed off. 4.

We expect the learned Magistrate to decide both the protest applications as expeditiously as possible, and preferably on or before 30th November, 2025.

(GAUTAM A. ANKHAD, J.) (RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.) Gauri Gaekwad