A local court today granted anticipatory bail to two directors and an employee of Hare Krishna Exports, the firm which allegedly denied job to a Muslim youth on the ground of his religion.
“The sessions court has allowed pre-arrest bail applications of directors Bhaskar Joshi and Mahindra Deshmukh and HR trainee Dipika Tike,” senior police inspector of BKC police station Kundlik Nigade said.
Two other directors — Ghanshyam Dholakiya and Hasmukh Dholakiya — did not press their pleas as they were not apprehending arrest, according to their lawyer Aabad Ponda.
All five had approached the court last week seeking anticipatory bail, claiming that the allegation of discrimination was false and the firm in fact employs several Muslims.
Zeeshan Khan, a city-based MBA graduate, has alleged that when he applied for an opening in the company on May 19, he received a response saying the firm’s policy was to hire only non-Muslims.
Khan’s lawyer Mohammed Ahmed said he will move the Bombay High Court seeking direction to police to arrest Ghanshyam Dholakiya and Hasmukh Dholakiya. “They are also the directors and they are equally responsible,” advocate Ahmed said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a probe into the issue after it came to light and the police registered a case under IPC section 153-B (imputation and assertions prejudicial to national integration).
The company later claimed that it was “an error” by the HR trainee, against whom appropriate action had been taken.
