The recent split within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has left the Bombay High Court bewildered, as a lawyer representing the State finds himself uncertain about continuing arguments against an NCP MLA affiliated with the Ajit Pawar faction. The MLA in question, Hasan Mushrif, is currently embroiled in a cheating case.

With the Ajit Pawar faction joining the BJP government in Maharashtra, including Pawar himself being appointed as Deputy Chief Minister, the lawyer appearing for the Maharashtra Police found himself at a crossroads. The courtroom, presided over by Justices Nitin Sambre and RN Laddha, couldn't help but find the situation amusing when the public prosecutor requested time to seek instructions due to the changed political circumstances.

During the hearing on July 6, the prosecutor, JP Yagnik, asked for an adjournment, citing the "change in circumstances." The Court, playfully questioning whether the prosecutor was representing the accused or the State, couldn't hide its amusement. The prosecutor also confirmed that the investigating officer was not present in the courtroom.

Senior Advocate Abad Ponda, representing Mushrif, informed the court about cross complaints in the case that the police were investigating. Additionally, Mushrif had been granted protection from arrest. Succumbing to the prosecutor's request, the Court adjourned the case until August 22, extending the order of interim protection.

To shed light on the matter, the bench called for a report from the principal district judge of the Pune court, who had previously issued a process against Mushrif in the case.

According to the FIR, Mushrif had allegedly failed to issue share certificates to 40,000 farmers who had invested in a sugar factory at his behest in 2012. Mushrif, in his plea seeking to quash the FIR, claimed that the case was politically motivated and filed at the behest of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. Intriguingly, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also registered a separate money laundering case against Mushrif based on the same FIR in 2022.

In a previous directive, another bench of the High Court had instructed the principal district judge of Pune to investigate how Kirit Somaiya managed to obtain a copy of a magistrate's order regarding the case against Mushrif when Somaiya was not even a party to the proceedings.

With political alliances shifting and legal battles intensifying, the case involving Hasan Mushrif adds yet another layer of spice to the Indian judicial landscape. As the Bombay High Court navigates this perplexing situation, the eyes of the nation remain fixed on the courtroom drama that unfolds.