Bombay High Court Quashes Externment Order Against Activist Saeed Chaudhary
The Bombay High Court on July 3, 2026, set aside a police externment order against a political activist, ruling that peaceful protests against government policies do not constitute grounds for such action. Justice Madhav Jamdar disposed of a petition from Saeed Ahmad Abdul Wahid Chaudhary, the general secretary of the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI), quashing the previous orders and cancelling his one-year externment period.
Chaudhary had challenged the externment orders issued against him on December 3, 2025, and March 27, 2026, by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) and the Divisional Commissioner of the Konkan Division.
In the ruling, the court noted that Chaudhary had organised morchas and dharnas against certain decisions of the Government of India. Justice Jamdar observed that these actions cannot be used as grounds for externment under the Maharashtra Police Act. The court declared that the action taken against the activist was mala fide and violated his constitutional rights under Articles 19 and 21, which guarantee citizens the freedom to express opinions and live with dignity.
During the hearing, the court also made sharp oral observations regarding the political climate in Maharashtra. Justice Jamdar commented on the practice of legislators switching party affiliations, using the term 'horse trading' to describe the phenomenon.
The judge noted that a political leader might be able to close criminal cases against themselves by joining a 'washing machine,' referring to the ruling party. The court also highlighted discussions in the State Assembly regarding the election of a Presiding Officer and his shift from one party to another.
Justice Jamdar further criticized the broader tendency to curb public protests, stating that citizens were being treated as slaves of the Indian Government. Citing Supreme Court judgments that recognise dissent as a 'symbol of a vibrant democracy,' the court formally disposed of the plea and set aside the externment orders.
