Murder bid FIR against me as Maha ruling party hurt over mocking of state minister: Nitesh Rane to HC

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane claimed before the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that an FIR on charge of attempt to murder was registered against him by Maharashtra's ruling party as it felt insulted and hurt by an alleged incident of mocking outside the state legislature complex last month.

A Shiv Sena MLA last month alleged that Rane had made 'meow' sounds looking in the direction of Maharashtra minister and Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray while he was going inside the Vidhan Bhavan building in Mumbai.

Nitesh Rane, the son of Union minister Narayan Rane, had earlier this month approached the HC seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with the case registered against him by the Kankavali police in Sindhudurg district last month under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention).

The case pertains to the alleged attack on a local Shiv Sena activist during the campaign for the Sindhurdurg District Co-operative Bank elections.

Nitesh Rane's advocate Niteen Pradhan told the HC on Wednesday that the FIR was registered against the MLA so as to prevent his participation in the bank elections after the mocking incident.

“The cat-calling and lampooning incident that took place outside the Vidhan Bhavan on December 23, 2021 had hurt the ruling party and they took it as an insult. Some Shiv Sena leaders even said that my client (Rane) would be taught a lesson,” Pradhan told the court.

On December 24, 2021, Nitesh Rane was summoned to the Kankavali police station for questioning, Pradhan said, adding that the MLA was questioned for four hours and then allowed to go.

The HC, due to paucity of time, later said it would continue hearing the MLA's plea on Thursday.

Special public prosecutor Sudeep Pasbola told the HC that his earlier assurance given to the court that the police would not take any coercive action against Nitesh Rane shall continue till the high court passes its order on the MLA's application.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)