1 wp2576.10 ast IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO.2576 OF 2010 Mohammed Anwar Abdullah Shaikh ....Petitioner Vs. The State of Maharashtra & ors. ....Respondents Mr. A.A.Siddiqui i/b. A.A.Siddiqui & Asso. for petitioner. Dr. F.R.Shaikh, APP for State. CORAM:- A.M.KHANWILKAR AND P.D.KODE, JJ. DATED:- OCTOBER 29, 2010. P.C. 1. Heard Counsel for the Petitioner and the learned APP. 2. By this Petition, direction is sought against the respondent essentially to provide police protection to the Petitioner on the assertion that the Petitioner is RTI Activists. The application made by the Petitioner has remained undecided since July, 2010. In this background, we called upon the learned APP to take instruction as to the status of the said application made by the Petitioner. We are informed that the application is being processed and requisite decision will be taken thereon very shortly. In the mean time, since the Petitioner is insisting for protection, the Respondent State is inclined to give that protection on 2 wp2576.10 Petitioner paying usual charges therefor. The Petitioner is not inclined to take protection on payment basis on the ground that he is not in a position to afford that expenses. If it is so, until the application preferred by the Petitioner is finally decided by the appropriate authority, the Petitioner cannot get any relief. It is only if the appropriate authority were to record its subjective satisfaction about the threat perception to the Petitioner of such magnitude, which may warrant extending police protection to the Petitioner, the question of providing police escort to the Petitioner would not arise. 3. In the circumstances, we dispose of this Petition with direction to the appropriate authority to take a final decision on the Petitioner’s application, not later than one week from today. Ordered accordingly. (P.D.KODE, J.) (A.M.KHANWILKAR, J.)