FIR against Aaditya Thackeray for 'inaugurating' bridge without permission
Mumbai, Nov 18: Mumbai Police registered a case against Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and a few others on Saturday for allegedly 'inaugurating' a part of a bridge in Lower Parel area of the city without the civic body's permission, an official said.
Thackeray, a former Maharashtra minister, claimed that the construction of the bridge was completed two weeks ago but it was not opened to the public as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had no time to inaugurate it.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Thackeray based on a complaint lodged by a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official.
A police official said that as per the complaint, Aaditya Thackeray, Sena (UBT)'s members of legislative council Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde, former mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar, and 15 to 20 others inaugurated the second carriageway of Delisle Bridge on Thursday night without the BMC administrator's permission.
The bridge is located in Thackeray's Worli constituency.
The Mumbai municipal commissioner currently acts as a state government-appointed administrator as the term of the BMC's general body has expired.
The act of inauguration was illegal as the bridge was still incomplete and not certified safe for use, and its premature use could pose a risk to motorists, the complaint said.
The FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 143, 149 (both pertaining to unlawful assembly), 336 (rash or negligent act) and 447 (criminal trespass), the official said.
Later in the day, Aaditya Thackeray alleged at a news conference that the Shinde government delayed the inauguration of Delisle Bridge.
"The 100-120 meter lane was not opened for the public because the chief minister had no time to inaugurate it. The work had got completed 10-15 days ago," he said.
"An FIR was registered against me and my associates for fighting for Mumbai. My grandfather (Sena founder late Bal Thackeray) would have been proud of it as we are fighting for the cause of Mumbai and Maharashtra," Thackeray added.
Governor Ramesh Bais should summon the chief minister and give him an earful about focussing on governance, the Sena (UBT) leader further said.
Eknath Shinde became chief minister in June 2022 after splitting the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
