1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRI.APPLICATION NO. 2979 OF 2009 Shri Shantaram Eknath Shinde .. Applicant Vs State of Maharashtra .. Respondent Mr. Sherali Khan, Advocate for the Applicant. Mrs. P.P.Shinde, APP, for the Respondent. CORAM : D.B.BHOSALE, J. DATE : 13/07/2009 PC: 1. Heard learned counsel for the applicant and learned APP for the respondent. 2 This application is filed for limited relief. The applicant has prayed for ad-interim protection pending hearing and final disposal of his anticipatory bail application no.947 of 2009 before the Sessions Court at Thane. Mr.Khan, learned counsel for the applicant, submits that the applicant has been directed to remain present in the court on the date/s of hearing of his anticipatory bail application, however, the Sessions Court has not granted interim protection. I am not entering into merits of the case and, in my opinion, it is necessary to grant interim protection to the applicant to enable him to appear before the T 2 court on the date/s of hearing/s. Hence, I pass the following order. The applicant shall not be arrested in connection with MECR no.113 of 2009 of Koparkhairne Police Station till his anticipatory bail application is decided by the Sessions Court, Thane. The applicant shall remain present before the sessions court on each date of hearing. It is made clear that if the applicant does not remain present before the court, as directed, his application may be dismissed on that ground alone. While granting interim protection to the applicant, I shall not be understood to have considered his case on merits and the trial Court shall deal with the application for anticipatory bail uninfluenced by this order granting interim protection to the applicant. The application is disposed of. (D. B. Bhosale, J.)