Union Minister Narayan Rane, who was arrested by the Maharashtra Police on Tuesday afternoon for his ‘slap slur’ remark against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has been granted bail by the court.
The Union Minister was taken to the court of First Class Magistrate Babasaheb Sheikh Patil in Raigad district on Tuesday evening. The police demanded 7-day remand of Rane in the court but the court has granted bail to the Union minister.
Rane’s lawyer cited his health issues and said that wrong sections have been imposed by the police against the minister. He said that the reasons given by the police for seeking remand for investigation are not justified. The police did not give any notice before arresting Rane. Rane’s lawyer also presented some examples of Bombay High Court and Supreme Court orders in the court.
This is the first time in Maharashtra that a serving Union Minister has been arrested. Sensing the possibility of arrest, Rane’s team had moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the arrest, but the matter was refused an urgent hearing. Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis, criticising this action of Mumbai Police, accused the Maharashtra government of misusing the government machinery, police force. Although the BJP has categorically rejected Rane’s statements, the entire party will stand firmly with him in the current crisis.
In a day of fast-paced developments, a team of police personnel went to Rane’s camp in Sangameshwar in Ratnagiri in the Konkan region, whisked him off to a waiting vehicle and took him to the local police station for the other arrest-related formalities amidst tight security.
Multiple police complaints have been filed against Rane with Police in Pune, Raigad, Nashik and at least two teams of Nashik and Pune police proceeded to nab the central minister.