Maharashtra: Dhule sessions court grants pre-arrest bail to Narayan Rane

MUMBAI: A sessions court in Dhule on Tuesday granted pre-arrest bail to Union minister Narayan Rane for a surety of Rs 15,000 in connection with a ‘hate speech’ FIR over his alleged remarks on Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray last year.
Advocate Aniket Nikam appeared for Rane and arguing the anticipatory bail before principal district judge RH Mohammad said that the offence under section 153 (B) Indian Penal Code (IPC) is not made out as Rane had not appealed to any particular group or class to take law in their hands.
Nikam also argued that the state has filed different First Information Reports (FIR) on the same incident at different places. Even the sections invoked are different at different places and hence all of it “smacks of political malafides,” said Nikam.
He also argued that Rane is a cabinet minister and there is no question of him absconding or not being available for probe.
The police never called him for investigation and now they want his anticipatory to be rejected after he filed it, contended Nikam adding “This all is not acceptable in the eyes of law,” Nikam said.
Prosecutor J D Sonawane opposed the plea of anticipatory bail saying it was a serious case and no relief ought to be given and his custody is required as his utterances had caused tension in the whole city.
The court, after hearing both, granted Rane, a BJP leader, relief and imposed a condition for him to attend police station as and when required.
This is the first anticipatory bail granted to Rane out of six FIRs against him.
Rane had last moved the Bombay HC to quash the FIR against him filed on August 24,2021 in Dhule by a Shiv Sena member for alleged hate speech following his press conference held the previous day where the BJP leader was critical of Uddhav Thackeray.
Rane said he never had any intention to cause or promote any hatred between communities or against the CM as alleged.
The HC bench of justice PB Varale and justice S M Modak issued notice on his quashing petition and said “in way of an interim order, State is directed not to take any coercive steps against the petitioner for the period of two weeks only. Meantime, the petitioner may avail appropriate remedies available to him…for his liberty.”
With protection only for two weeks, Rane had approached the Dhule court for relief.