BJP MLA Nitesh Rane has been sent in two-day police custody by a court at Sindhudurg in an attempt to murder case.
He surrendered before the court after withdrawing his bail plea before the Bombay High Court.
Advocate Satish Maneshinde, appearing for Mr. Rane, told a Bench of justice C.V. Bhadang, “In view of what happened yesterday in the Sindhudurg court, the bail applicant intends to surrender before the investigating officer during the course of the day and his bail plea be allowed to be withdrawn. He intends to surrender to face the probe even though five-day protection is still left as per the Supreme Court order.”
The court accepted his plea and disposed of the application as withdrawn.
On February 1, additional sessions judge R.B. Rote rejected Mr. Rane’s bail application and said, “If he is granted bail the investigation will be hampered. He has filed this application for regular bail without filing a written application for making surrender before the court. The application is premature, hence it is not maintainable.”
The first time he had moved the High Court was aftera court in Sindhudurg district quashed his anticipatory bail on December 31. As per his petition, “He has been falsely implicated and targeted by the ruling party in Maharashtra [Shiv Sena] and there is no evidence against him in this case.”
On January 17, a Bench of justice Bhadang refused his anticipatory bail and extended his protection from arrest till January 27.
SC directive
On January 27, Mr. Rane approached the Supreme Court seeking pre-arrest bail. The court granted him interim protection from arrest and directed him to surrender before the trial court and apply for regular bail.
The caseagainst Mr. Ranewas registeredafterKankavli residentand member of the Shiv SenaSantosh Parab, 44, filed a police complaint claiming he was assaulted by certain persons linked with the Kankavli MLA. The incident took place in December 2021 during the campaigning for the Sindhudurg District Co-operative Bank elections.
Mr.Ranehas been charged with sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120 B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
