Pune, 16 July 2025: Ganesh Mohite, who was arrested for allegedly possessing and test-firing illegal firearms in the Mulshi forest, has accused the Paud police of misleading the court and hiding key information. In a complaint submitted to the court, Mohite also alleged he was physically assaulted while in custody. Following the complaint, the court has issued a notice to the police and is considering further legal action.
Mohite was arrested on July 8 from Yerawada Jail based on an audio recording of a WhatsApp call that allegedly revealed a weapons training session involving seven to eight pistols. While the Paud police registered a fresh case under the Arms Act, it has emerged that Mohite and others were already named in an earlier land dispute case registered at the Saswad police station.
In that earlier case, one co-accused had been granted anticipatory bail while another had been released after being served a notice. Despite this, the Paud police filed a new FIR referencing the same incident and claimed the accused were absconding.
Defence lawyer Adv. Prasannakumar Joshi informed the court that this amounted to filing two separate cases for the same incident at different police stations. He further alleged that during the remand hearing, the Paud police sought an extension of custody for Mohite, citing the need to trace the whereabouts of other accused, despite the fact that their locations and legal statuses were already known to the police through the Saswad case. This, Joshi argued, shows a deliberate attempt to mislead the court and conceal facts.
Based on these arguments, advocates Prasannakumar Joshi, Prathamesh Gandhi, and Sakshi Kusalkar have demanded legal action against the police under sections 223, 225, 234, and 236 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which cover offenses related to presenting false evidence, hiding facts, and creating forged documents in court proceedings. On July 14, the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) issued a notice to the police department in response to this demand.
Speaking on the case, Adv. Prasannakumar Joshi stated that the provisions of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita are not only meant to protect complainants but also ensure the rights of the accused are preserved. He said the legal petition was filed with this purpose in mind, and the court has taken appropriate cognizance of the matter.