A Pune sessions court has cancelled the arrest warrants issued against former MP Raju Shetti and MLA Sadabhau Khot in the 2015 Sugar Complex vandalism case linked to a protest over unpaid sugarcane dues and Fair and Remunerative Price payments. The two leaders appeared before the court on Wednesday, leading to the warrants being withdrawn.
The decision was issued by Sessions Judge Aniruddha Gandhi. The warrants had been issued around two months earlier after the leaders failed to appear before the court. The underlying criminal case, however, remains pending and has not been closed.
The case relates to a protest organised in 2015 at the Sugar Complex of the Sugar Commissionerate in Pune under the leadership of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana. Sugarcane farmers were demanding payment of outstanding dues and amounts payable under the Fair and Remunerative Price, or FRP, system.
According to the prosecution’s allegations, the protest turned violent after the demonstrators were unable to meet the Sugar Commissioner. The allegations state that protesters entered the building and damaged plant pots, glass windows, panes and office furniture. A vehicle parked in the ground-floor parking area was also allegedly set on fire.
Shivajinagar police registered a case against Shetti, Khot and approximately 150 other people in connection with the incident. Around 90 accused persons appeared during Wednesday’s hearing. The court imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on each accused person who was present and granted exemption from personal appearance at future hearings until the stage of framing charges.
Advocate Yogesh Pande represented Shetti and Khot. During the hearing, the defence also referred to the state government’s approval in 2018 for a proposal to withdraw the case. Documents relating to that decision were placed before the court. The defence pointed out that the case had continued for eight years after the approval.
The approval to withdraw a criminal case does not automatically end the proceedings. The prescribed legal process must be completed and the court’s consent must be obtained. As a result, cancellation of the arrest warrants only resolves the immediate appearance issue. The case will remain pending until the withdrawal process is completed or the court otherwise disposes of the matter.
The allegations against the accused have not yet been conclusively decided by the court. The next substantive development will depend on the legal process concerning the proposed withdrawal of the case and the court’s consideration of that request.
