Mumbai (Maharashtra): A Magistrate Court in Mahad in Raigad district of Maharashtra granted bail to arrested Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane for his 'slap remark' against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on a surety of Rs 15,000. The Union Minister was granted bail post eight hours of his dramatic arrest by a police force from his camp in Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri, from where he was taken to a Raigad Court later in the evening. Rane had said that he would have slapped Thackeray over the latter's 'ignorance' of the year of India's independence.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rane's controversial remark against state Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had triggered a massive political uproar and led to several protests. The Union Minister was produced before Judicial Magistrate Shaikhbabaso S Patil at 9.45 pm following his arrest. Meanwhile, the government counsel Bhushan Salvi had sought a seven-day police custody of the BJP leader to conduct further investigation, in order to find out whether there was any conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of the CM.
Read: Union minister Narayan Rane arrested after remarks against Maharashtra CM
However, Rane's lawyers Aniket Nikam and Bhau Salunkhe opposing the government lawyer's arguments stated that the 69-yr old suffers from sugar and blood pressure issues. They further added that the offenses under IPC for which Rane was apprehended were all punishable with less than seven years and hence the issue of taking him into custody does not arise. Nikam also went onto say that the Central Minister's arrest was illegal sans summons issued to the latter under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure prior to his arrest.
Having heard the arguments of both sides, the Court denied the police the Union minister's custody. Rane was also asked to mark his presence at the Mahad police station on August 30 and September 13.
Read: FIR against Minister Narayan Rane over remarks against CM Thackeray
The Central Minister's arrest was a first ever for the state, and several cases were filed against him in other districts for his comments targeting CM Thackeray. Soon after Rane was granted bail, Pravin Darekar, the Leader of Opposition (Council) and others welcomed the Court's verdict saying that the former's arrest was politically motivated and illegal.
Sudhir Mungantiwar, a BJP ex-minister described it as a victory of democracy and a defeat of the 'Talibani mentality' of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, adding that the latter will have to pay a price for having insulted the constitutional tenets of BR Ambedkar.
The FIR at Mahad against Rane was registered under IPC sections 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief)
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