No coercive action against Narayan Rane in Nashik FIR over ‘slap Uddhav’ remark: Maha govt to HC

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The Maharashtra government Wednesday told the Bombay supreme court that no coercive action are going to be taken till Citizenship Day against Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane within the FIR filed by the Nashik Cyber Police over his “slap Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray” remark on Monday The plea stated that the Nashik commissioner was working struggling from the Shiv Sena, the ruling party in Maharashtra, which multiple FIRs were lodged against him with the sole intention to “harass him by launching a false prosecution.”

On Tuesday, when Rane’s advocate Aniket Nikam mentioned the plea before the division bench of Justice S S Shinde and Justice N J Jamadar, the supreme court had refused urgent hearing and told Nikam that the mere mention of Rane’s plea before the court wasn’t allowed which he needed to follow proper procedures under law to urge the petition registered and file a precipice within the supreme court registry to urge the matter listed for hearing.

On Wednesday, Rane’s counsel mentioned the plea before the bench during the pre-lunch session, after which the court asked the government lawyer to verify if he had received a replica of the petition and inform the court about an equivalent in post-lunch session Rane’s plea had challenged the Nashik Cyber Police FIR under Sections 153 (B) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 500 (criminal defamation), 505 (2) (intent to incite) of the IPC, among others.

The plea stated, “There may be a possibility of the many more such FIRs being registered against the petitioner in several parts of the state out of political vengeance and grudge. The crux and grievance altogether the above FIRs is nearly an equivalent .”

Seeking interim protection from arrest, Rane further said that the Nashik Police has sent him a notice under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) asking him to seem at the police headquarters on September 2 Rane has also challenged other FIRs registered against him in reference to his remark, along side any probable FIRs likely to be registered in future.

In the post-lunch session, senior advocate Amit Desai, representing the Maharashtra government, informed the court that he had received the copy of Rane’s petition which he was able to make a press release that no coercive action are going to be taken against the minister within the Nashik FIR, till further orders. He further said that as Rane’s plea didn’t mention the small print of other FIRs, he should amend the plea and time interval to require instructions on an equivalent .

However, advocate Satish Maneshinde, representing Rane, said the prosecution was “castigated” for arresting his client Tuesday which a press release should be made in reference to all the FIRs arising out of the remarks made during a news conference held in Mahad.

“The state may take action in other FIRs. Cabinet ministers here are making statements that whatever had to be achieved has been achieved. Therefore, i’m seeking ad-interim protection against all the FIRs arising from the news conference ,” Maneshinde said.

Replying to the plea, the bench said, “You (Rane) amend the petition by collecting all information and obtain all the records concerning the sections levelled against the petitioner in other FIRs. we’ll consider them (reliefs in other FIRs). Till then, let this statement continue”.

The government lawyer said the petitioner should also make a press release that no offence need to be made by him to avoid any advantage of the state’s assurance. “I don’t want to curb freedom of speech. i’m only preempting what is going to happen,” Desai said.

To this, Maneshinde responded, “That will curtail my freedom of speech. The magistrate has already cautioned my client yesterday that he cannot commit similar offence pending the case”.