HC upholds ‘process issue’ order on Indurikar Maharaj

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The aurangabad division bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Kishor Sant upheld the order of ‘process issue’ (order to issue summons) issued by the judicial magistrate first class regarding the controversial statement of Kirtankar Nivrutti Maharaj Indurikar about conceiving a male child.

The process issue order of the judicial magistrate first class was cancelled by the sessions court. On Friday, the division bench cancelled the session’s court order and retained the earlier order. The bench has given the time of four weeks for appealing against this order, until then the decision will be stayed in the division bench.

Indurikar Maharaj had publicly made a controversial statement about having a male issue. The state president of Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti from Sangamner Adv Ranjana Gawande had made a complaint in this regard to the district civil surgeon of Ahmednagar. The civil surgeon then sent the complaint to the tehsil medical office at Sangamner. The tehsil medical officer made a complaint against Indurikar Maharaj with the judicial magistrate first class as per section 28 of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act,

(PCPNDT) Act. Judicial magistrate first class ordered a process issue in this matter. Indurikar then approached the district court, where the process issue order was cancelled.

Adv Ranjana Gawande and the state government challenge the order at the Aurangabad division bench.

Adv Jitendra Patil and Adv Neha Kamble appeared on behalf of assistant public prosecutor Prasanna Kutti and Adv Gawande.