Iqbal Singh Chahal gets High Court relief

The Bombay High Court on Friday granted interim stay on the proceedings initiated by the Mulund metropolitan magistrate against BMC commissioner and administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal, in a criminal complaint claiming that he had passed “discriminatory” orders during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Complainant Ambar Koiri had alleged that Chahal’s orders imposing restrictions differentiated between vaccinated and unvaccinated persons and gave undue advantage to the companies producing the vaccines.

Earlier this month, the magistrate had directed Chahal to appear before it on January 11, 2023. Thereafter, Chahal had approached the HC and sought quashing of the magistrate’s order initiating proceedings against him.

The HC observed that “prima facie” no case had been made out against Chahal and granted him interim relief. With this, he does not have to appear before a magistrate till the HC decides his plea.