SC grants 10-day protection from arrest to BJP MLA Nitesh Rane in attempt-to-murder case

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court on Thursday granted 10 days protection from arrest to Maharashtra BJP MLA Nitesh Rane in connection with an attempt to murder case lodged in Sindhudurg district last month.

Supreme Court grants 10 days protection from arrest to Maharashtra BJP MLA Nitesh Rane and directs him to surrender before the trial court and seek regular bail in connection with an attempt to murder case lodged in Sindhudurg district last month.

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The apex court also directed Nitesh Rane, who is the son of Union Minister Narayan Rane, to surrender before the trial court and seek regular bail in connection with the case.

The top court, while refusing to entertain a pre-arrest bail plea of Nitesh, directed the Maharashtra Police not to arrest him for 10 days in an attempt-to-murder case.

The order was passed by the top court bench led by CJI NV Ramana, which came in response to a petition filed by Rane challenging the January 17 Bombay High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in an attempt to murder case.

The SC bench had on Tuesday agreed to hear his petition after senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi alleged on his behalf that it was a case of political rivalry.

On Thursday, Rohatgi reiterated his allegation that the case was a result of ''political vendetta.'' Rane is accused of being the mastermind behind the attempt on the life of a Shiv Sena member on December 18 last year in the Kankavli area of Maharashtra.

The Sindhudurg Sessions Court and the Bombay High Court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The Maharashtra government had earlier assured that no coercive action would be taken against Rane till January 27 in order to enable him to approach the Supreme Court.