'Slap CM' row: Fresh notice to Rane; court says arrest justified, not custody

The fresh notice was sent by Nashik Police to the Union minister in connection with his remarks against CM Uddhav Thackeray and Rane has been asked to appear before it on September 2.

A day after being granted bail over “slapping the chief minister” remark, Union minister Narayan Rane received a fresh notice of summons from the Nashik police on Wednesday.

Narayan Rane was arrested by Ratnagiri Police on Tuesday.(PTI)

An ANI report said the notice was sent to the senior BJP leader in connection with an FIR and Rane had been asked to appear at the police station on September 2.

The fresh summons came around the same time a detailed copy of the Mahad court’s Tuesday night order granting the former chief minister bail was made available. The court said that while Rane’s arrest over his controversial remarks against chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was “justified”, his custodial interrogation was not necessary.

Magistrate SS Patil said in the order that while a few sections under which Rane was booked were non-bailable, they were not punishable with life or death.

“Considering these factors, no prejudice would be caused to the prosecution if the accused is released on bail,” the court said, adding "the accused shall not commit a similar type of offence".

Rane was arrested on Tuesday afternoon in Ratnagiri district after multiple FIRs were registered against him at several places, including Nashik and Pune, based on complaints filed by Shiv Sena leaders for his remarks against Thackeray.

The Union minister, who was previously with the Sena before switching over to the Bharatiya Janata Party, had on Monday accused Thackeray of ignorance about the year of India's independence at an event and said he would have given him a “tight slap" had been present at the spot.

The remarks sparked massive controversy with Sena and BJP workers clashing across the state and the senior leadership of the two camps engaging in a war of words.

While Sena leaders strongly condemned Rane's remarks with party leader Vinayak Raut seeking his removal from the Union Cabinet, the BJP leadership condemned Maharashtra Police for the alleged illegal detainment of Rane.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil even called the bail of Rane a 'slap' by the court on the face of the state government.

While granting bail to the Union minister on a surety of ₹15,000, the court ordered Rane to be present at the Ratnagiri police station for inquiry on August 31 and September 13 and cautioned him not to commit a similar kind of offence in the future.

The magistrate, while refusing to grant Rane's custody to the police, noted that the alleged statement of the accused (Rane) was made before the media. “The informant (complainant in the case) himself alleged in the FIR that the accused made the statement before the media and it was viral on social media. Considering the nature of the offence, I do not find it necessary to hand over the accused in police custody,” the magistrate said in the order.

The police opposed the bail plea, arguing that the accused was a Union cabinet minister and was making such irresponsible statements which would create disharmony in the society. The court in its order directed Rane to cooperate with the probe into the case and if police want a voice sample of the minister, then he (Rane) shall assist.

“The only rider is that the police shall give seven-day prior notice to the accused,” it said. The court also noted that the police had not followed directions given by the Bombay High Court with regard to maintaining a proper case diary. “Admittedly, the case diary produced before me are two papers which are not paginated,” the magistrate said. Rane faces four FIRs in Maharashtra over his remarks, which triggered a political row and protests across the state on Tuesday.

(With agency inputs)