MUMBAI, April 22: Not content with his legal dispute pending in the City Civil Court, a non-resident Indian also wrestled with an officer of the court. He caught the bailiff by the scruff of his neck, spat expletives at him and ripped his identity card to pieces when the latter tried to serve summons on him at his residence.The bailiff has lodged a criminal case against the NRI, Surendra Wadhwani, apart from complaining to the chief justice of the Bombay High Court and the police commissioner.
Wadhwani is currently in Hong Kong and will be arrested as soon as he enters the country, says Senior Police Inspector of the Juhu police station R M Sarnaik.
The NRI assaulted bailiff Uday Bhatt at his Juhu residence on March 17, when the latter tried to serve the summons pertaining to a case filed by his business associate, Captain Abdul Sattar Pagarkar. Bhatt said he and Pagarkar had gone to Wadhwani's residence on March 17, when the case (1340/1998) came up for admission and civil Judge R B Malik directedthat Wadhwani be served the summons.
He said he tried to serve the summons twice on the same day, but Wadhwani was not available. Pagarkar's advocate Amit Bhowmick also faxed the notice to Wadhawani in Hong Kong, where he sometimes resides. The next day, Bhatt and Pagarkar returned Wadhwani's residence and when Bhatt identified himself, the NRI lost his cool.``He was very rude and demanded to see my identity card. When I showed him the identity card of the Bombay High Court, he snatched it and tore it up,'' Bhatt recalls.``Before I could react, Wadhwani caught me by the scruff of my neck, abused me and dragged me out of the building. He also refused to accept the summons,'' he adds.
Stunned by the sudden attack, Bhatt lodged complaints with Judge R B Malik and Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court M B Shah on March 18 and with Commissioner of Police R H Mendonca and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ranjit Singh Sharma on March 21. The complaint with the Juhu police was filed on April 5.
Bhatt alsofiled a criminal case (174/98) at the Juhu police station under Section 173 (preventing summons or proceedings), Section 353 (assault or criminal force used to deter public servant from discharging duty), and Section 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code. The case pertaining to Wadhwani's dispute with Pagarkar has now been adjourned to June.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
