Samajwadi Party Maharashtra President Abu Asim Azmi on Tuesday alleged that former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan was being targeted by the government, claiming that fresh cases were being filed against him whenever he secured bail.

Azmi’s remarks came after Azam Khan was sent to 14 days of judicial custody following his arrest in a money laundering case. Khan was arrested shortly after being released on bail on Monday. He will be lodged at Dasna jail in Ghaziabad.

Speaking to media, Azmi said: “Azam Khan has been in jail for several years. If the ED had anything against him, it could have questioned him inside the prison and taken action. But as soon as he gets bail, a new case is filed. All this is happening at the government’s behest.”

“This is completely wrong. Azam Khan has not earned anything through wrongdoing. He brought money and established the university. He has been elected as an MLA more than 10 times and has also served as a minister and an MP. However, such treatment is being meted out to him. I believe that the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak) is repeatedly being targeted in this manner. But now, the public has awakened,” he added.

Azmi also welcomed the Bombay High Court’s order directing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to re-upload actor Dia Mirza’s Diwali video, which appealed to people to celebrate an eco-friendly and firecracker-free festival.

Reacting to the development, the Samajwadi Party leader said, “I am very happy and want to congratulate the court for showing that justice is still alive. I would also urge all courts not to forget the struggles of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.”

He further urged the judiciary to take suo motu cognisance whenever anything unconstitutional or imposed through coercion and hooliganism takes place in the country.

“Whenever anything unconstitutional happens in the country, courts should take suo motu action. If this continues, those BJP leaders who are spreading anarchy in the country will come to their senses,” he said.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure over the rhetoric used by politicians against Dia Mirza and directed the civic body to re-upload the deleted video.

Emphasising that India is a secular country, the court underscored the importance of allowing individuals to express their views on celebrating festivals in an environmentally responsible manner.

A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court here on Tuesday sent Suneha Pandit, the 13th accused arrested in connection with the firing incident on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, to police custody till November 16.

The Mumbai Crime Branch had arrested Suneha Pandit, the sister-in-law of gangster Anil Pandit, who had claimed responsibility for the October 18 firing case, from Haryana’s Karnal district.

She was produced before a special MCOCA court in Mumbai on Tuesday, where investigators sought her police custody for further questioning.

According to officials, Suneha Pandit is the wife of Abhishek, who allegedly operates a cryptocurrency account.

Funds have reportedly been received in this account from abroad, and investigators suspect that the money may be proceeds from extortion.

Abhishek Pandit is the brother of Anil Pandit and is accused of running two other groups along with his network and is said to handle payments for all operations.

The other accused persons in the firing case were assigned special codes through which Abhishek Pandit allegedly transferred money to them, police said.

The Mumbai Crime Branch had sought 15 days of police custody for Suneha Pandit.

However, her lawyer opposed the police custody request, arguing that the police have already obtained all the information they required.

The Mumbai Crime Branch also informed the court that the funds allegedly used in the Tiger Shroff firing case came from foreign sources.

In its order, the MCOCA court sent the accused woman to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch until November 16.

Last week, a special MCOCA court sent Amar, the 12th accused arrested from Haryana’s Sonipat, to police custody till November 6.

Prior to that, the MCOCA court had sent 11 other accused arrested in connection with the firing on Shroff’s car to police custody till November 6.

Amar was arrested from Rohna village in Sonipat.

According to officials, Amar is accused of having transferred money, allegedly used in the commission of the crime, online. The funds were reportedly used for various expenses, including the purchase of a motorcycle and booking hotel rooms linked to the case.

After a major political controversy erupted over Bollywood actress Dia Mirza’s Diwali appeal video, Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday broke his silence and spoke about the ongoing dispute.

The eco-friendly and firecracker-free Diwali public awareness campaign launched by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) featured Madhuri Dixit, cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and actress Diya Mirza among others.

The video appeal, featuring celebrities, originally posted by the BMC on its social media handle, was deleted following criticism from MLA Amit Satam.

Mayor Ritu Tawde also distanced herself from the issue, blaming the social media agency and administration.

Amidst the rising political debate, the Bombay High Court questioned the backlash, asking what was wrong with celebrities advocating for an eco-friendly festival. Breaking his silence on the matter, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has now responded to the ongoing dispute.

CM Fadnavis addressed the media in Pune on Tuesday after inaugurating the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar metro route. When asked about the deletion of Dia Mirza’s video and the Bombay High Court’s directives, he remarked that he did not believe the High Court had reprimanded anyone and suggested it might have merely expressed an opinion, noting that the matter had not officially gone to the High Court as a formal case.

When asked about the High Court raising questions regarding the removal of the video from social media, CM Fadnavis said that deleting the video was the BMC’s prerogative. He stated that whoever owns the social media handle retains full authority over what content to publish or remove, and that the BMC acted according to its own discretion.

Speaking on the actress, CM Fadnavis added, “Actress Dia Mirza may be a renowned and successful actress, but she is not a prominent national political leader of India. This issue is not at our level; it is a minor matter,” suggesting it was inappropriate to direct such questions to him.

Addressing the backlash surrounding her Diwali video, actress Dia Mirza asked, “I spoke in favour of a pollution-free festival, what did I do wrong?”

On Tuesday, the High Court expressed strong displeasure without directly naming anyone regarding the deletion of Dia Mirza’s video.

The Bench observed that in a secular nation like India, it is unfortunate and contrary to the principles of secularism when political leaders assign communal angles to the choice of public celebrities stepping forward for the public good.

Emphasising that no individual can be excluded from celebrating festivals, the court directed the municipal administration to re-broadcast Dia Mirza’s removed video.