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Synopsis

The Bombay High Court has granted an extension of the interim relief until October 16 to Baramati Pvt. Ltd, a company controlled by Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar.

The division bench of the high court comprising Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Manjula Deshmukh was hearing a plea filed by the company against a notice issued by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board ordering the closure of its factory.

During the hearing, the Bombay High Court directed the Pollution Control Board to provide a reply. 

Senior Advocate Milind Sathe, appearing for the Pollution Control Board, sought vacation of the interim stay, citing significant environmental violations.

 However, Advocates JP Sen and Akshay Shinde, representing the company, countered these claims, stating that there were no violations and that the allegations made by the board were inaccurate.

In response to the submissions made by both parties, the bench said, 

"Don't you think you should file a reply as you are making serious allegations against the petitioner," 

Sathe agreed to file a reply after which the bench posted the matter for 16th October.

The high court had earlier granted the company interim relief after receiving the closure notice on September 28, 2023, at 2 AM. The MPCB had instructed the company to shut down the factory within 72 hours of issuing the notice.

The company in its plea stated that the unit had been in existence since 2007-2008, and there had not been a single instance of environmental violation.

The petitioner also submitted that the order was passed by the MPCB owing to political influence.

“The Impugned Order has been passed owing to political influence and considering the present political situation to pressurize the director of the Petitioner Le. Mr. Rohit Pawar who is also Member of Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra,” the plea states.  

Pertinently, the Rohit Pawar-controlled company had also approached the Bombay High Court to quash the FIR against the company which was lodged by a BJP leader who lost to Rohit Pawar during the assembly elections.

Case title: Baramati Agro Ltd vs Regional Officer Pune MPCB