The Bombay high court on Tuesday rejected a plea for an urgent hearing of Union minister Narayan Rane’s anticipatory bail application as he faced arrest for his comments a day earlier that he wanted to “give a tight slap” to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly forgetting the year of India’s independence during a speech.
Rane moved the court as Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey on Tuesday said he has ordered the formation of a team to arrest the minister and to produce him before a court. Three cases, including under India Penal Code’s sections 500 (defamation), 505(2) (mischief), 153-B (1)(c) (remarks likely to cause disharmony, or feeling of enmity or hatred or ill will), have been filed against Rane for the comments.
A sessions court in Ratnagiri earlier refused to hear Rane’s anticipatory bail plea.
Also Read | Sena-BJP clashes break out in Maharashtra over Narayan Rane’s ‘slap CM’ remark
A high court bench of justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar directed Rane’s lawyer, Aniket Nikam, to follow due procedure before approaching it. A separate application has also been filed for quashing the three cases registered against Rane in Nashik, Pune and Mahad.
Nikam approached the court after its lunch break concluded at 2.30 pm and mentioned the two applications seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the cases. The court asked Nikam to follow the procedure under the law by filing a praecipe to get the matter listed for hearing. Nikam also sought protection from coercive action including arrest pending hearing of the plea.
{{/usCountry}}Nikam approached the court after its lunch break concluded at 2.30 pm and mentioned the two applications seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the cases. The court asked Nikam to follow the procedure under the law by filing a praecipe to get the matter listed for hearing. Nikam also sought protection from coercive action including arrest pending hearing of the plea.
{{/usCountry}}Nikam said for arrest for any offence which involves punishment of under 7 years, police have to issue a notice. He added this has not been issued in Rane’s case and hence the order for his arrest is illegal. Nikam said they will wait till 4.30 pm and approach the bench again.