Police assaulted Surat lawyer, then abused their authority to file FIR: High Court

The Gujarat High Court has quashed an FIR registered against a Surat advocate saying it was a “classic counter-blast” by police after the advocate, who had been beaten and seriously injured by policemen, filed a complaint of attempted murder against them. The court said the FIR against Mehul Boghara, an advocate and social activist, amounted to an “abuse of police authority”, and was an attempt to create leverage against him.

Justice P M Raval held that the allegations by police under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act) were not supported by essential ingredients of the offences, and that continuing the proceedings would be an abuse of the process of law.

Gujarat farmers ‘tied with ropes, paraded’; High Court sends notice to government Four years ago, this is what happened The case arose from a confrontation between Advocate Boghara and police that took place on Lasana Main Road in Surat on August 18, 2022.

Boghara claimed that he was livestreaming what he described as an “illegal money-collection” racket involving traffic police personnel when Traffic Brigade supervisor Sajan Bharwad attacked him with a heavy wooden log, striking him on the head and legs. Boghara said he suffered serious injuries in the attack and had to be taken to hospital in a ‘108’ ambulance.