Nagpur: After the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court raised objection over animal activist Adv Ankita Shah not tendering her apology in the PIL related to feeding of stray dogs, Adv Shreerang Bhandarkar has filed a pursis stating that she was not ready to apologise.
“As Adv Shah was not wanting to tender an apology, I had told her that I would not be appearing before the court hereafter. Therefore, on subsequent dates, I did not cause appearance, as also I had not filed Vakalatnama on behalf of Adv Shah in the instant proceeding,” Adv Bhandarkar stated in the pursis.
On December 7, 2022, the Division Bench of Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice M W Chandwani had rapped Adv Shah for indulging into a publicity stunt by trying to designate a place in High Court premises for feeding stray dogs. The court had issued show cause notice to her asking as to why contempt action should not be taken against her. The High Court recently requested Adv Bhandarkar to fulfil the promise made before the court that Adv Shah would tender an unconditional apology in writing before the court.
Adv Bhandarkar filed the pursis on February 13, 2023 in which he stated that Adv Sudeep Badana was representing Adv Shah. He withdrew his Vakalatnama on December 14, 2022 and on the same day, Adv Shah approached Adv Bhandarkar requesting him to represent her in the petition only for the limited purpose pertaining to the contempt proceeding initiated by the court on December 7, 2022.
“I agreed to appear on behalf of Adv Shah without filing Vakalatnama. I had advised her to tender an unconditional and unqualified apology to the court. When I made a statement on her behalf that an affidavit of unconditional apology would be filed by the next date, she objected as to why a statement was made despite the fact she had not given any instruction in this regard. According to her, she did not want to tender an apology,” Adv Bhandarkar stated, adding that he was not appearing before the court for Adv Shah.
