NCP leader Uday Sonawane has been given relief by the Bombay High Court in criminal writ petition 1299 of 2023 in the alleged harassment case levelled against him by lawyer and Twitter user Adv Shweta Chatur Sangtani. alias @penguinhowler. OpIndia has learnt that a settlement was reached between the two parties and Sangtani has given a ‘no objection’ to quashing proceedings against Sonawane.
On the 10th of April 2023, an order was passed by the Bombay High Court ordering the quashing of the case against Sonawane. The case pertains to an FIR based on the complaint filed by Sangtani on the 16th of March 2022 under sections 354-D, 506, 507 and 509 registered in Marine Drive Police Station, Mumbai.
On the 15th of March 2023, Sonawane approached the Bombay High Court. In his petition, he says that Sangtani and Sonawane have reached an amicable settlement and therefore, Respondent 2 (Sangtani) does not want to pursue the case any longer. The terms and conditions of the settlement were also mentioned in the petition. The conditions mentioned that neither of them would contact each other in the future, bring frivolous lawsuits against each other, that there will be no act, orally or in writing, of defaming each other by either of the parties, that Sonawane will not attempt to contact the partner of Sangtani’s husband henceforth etc. The settlement also mentions that if any of these conditions are breached, then the agreement that both parties have reached because the High Court would be considered violated.
After this petition by Sonawane on the grounds of amicable settlement and that there was no criminal intent in the case, an additional affidavit was filed by Sangtani on the 10th of April 2023 affirming that she had no objections if pursuant to the amicable settlement reached between the two parties, the High Court quashes the case against Sonawane.
On the 10th of April 2023, the Bombay High Court thus passed an order accepting the prayer of Sonawane for the quashing of the case since there was an amicable settlement.
Sangtani, in January 2022 had alleged Sonawane subjected her to online harassment for years. She had narrated on Twitter how, Sonawane, who she said is married and has a child, has been stalking her since the 1st year of law school. She was 35 years old when she made the allegations as per her tweet.
Can’t believe I have to resort to this but here goes. This dude has been stalking me since the 1st year of law school. I’m 35 yrs old now. He has a wife & a kid & is a member of a political party. I’m worried for my safety as he’s clearly unhinged but I’m done ignoring this. pic.twitter.com/TGfQ3Mnfqe
— Boss Baby (@penguinhowler) January 11, 2022
Note: This report has been updated as on 25th April, 2023 with latest developments.
