Pune: Maratha reservation movement leader Manoj Jarange-Patil has moved the court seeking dismissal of fraud charges filed against him in connection with a case involving a theatre producer.

The petition was filed on Tuesday (September 3) in the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) A.C. Birajdar.

Jarange-Patil, along with his lawyers, submitted the petition requesting the court to dismiss the case due to a lack of evidence. The charges against Jarange-Patil and his co-accused, Arjun Prasad Jadhav and Datta Bahir, stem from allegations that they organized theatre performances without fulfilling financial commitments to the producer.

The initial complaint was lodged by Dhananjay Ghorpade, a resident of Warje, and the case was registered at Kothrud Police Station.

During Tuesday's hearing, both Jarange-Patil and his co-accused appeared before the court. Advocate Sunil Kadam filed a separate application on behalf of the original complainant's wife, seeking permission for the complainant to assist public prosecutor Neelima-Ithape in presenting the case.

Representing Jarange-Patil, Advocates Harshad Nimbalkar, Santosh Khamkar, and Shivam Nimbalkar argued that there was no substantial evidence to support the allegations of fraud against their client.

They highlighted that Jarange-Patil had not signed any contract related to the disputed theatre shows and emphasized that the charges were eligible for settlement under the law. The defense urged the court to dismiss the case on these grounds.

Magistrate A.C. Birajdar, while hearing the case, noted that fraud charges of this nature could potentially be resolved through mediation. The court suggested that both the complainant and the accused consider a settlement, and if consensus is reached, the matter could be referred to a mediation court.

The judge clarified that if a financial settlement is agreed upon, the responsibility for the payment would rest jointly on all three accused.

The court instructed the prosecution to submit a statement regarding the possibility of a settlement, for which the prosecution sought additional time. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for September 24.