SC junks Mutalik’s plea against ban on entering Goa

New Delhi, May 22: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea by right wing leader from Karnataka Pramod Mutalik to enter Goa for participating in some event on June 1.

A vacation bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha asked his counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain to amend his petition pending since 2016.

“Is there any fresh prohibitory order against you? Where is that order,” the bench asked the counsel who contended the Rashriya Hindu Sena chief wanted to participate in an event in Goa on June 1.

The court pointed out that all the prohibitory orders issued in 2016 must have by now expired.

Jain said the Goa government has played “some mischief” and issued fresh orders, which prohibited entry of Mutalik to the state. Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, appearing for the Goa government, sought direction to dismiss his petition. He said the petitioner was a “rabble-rouser” and his entry cannot be permitted during the period of Ramzan. The counsel said as many as 50 cases were pending against him.

He said, if the petitioner was aggrieved by any fresh order, he should approach the High Court as his instant petition has become infructuous.

Jain countered the state government’s counsel, contending Mutalik has been acquitted in most of the cases. The bench, however, said, “It is his fundamental right to approach us. He is saying it is unacceptable that such period orders are issued.”

The court allowed Mutalik’s counsel to amend the petition and put it for consideration in August. The Goa government has issued fresh orders to proscribe entry of Hubballi-resident Mutalik on the basis of an FIR registered by the Bengaluru police on July 20, last year.