A court in Thane disitrict has granted interim protection from arrest to Marathi rapper Raj Mungase till April 25 in a case registered against him for allegedly defaming the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government though his video song.

Additional Sessions Judge at Kalyan, R G Waghmare, while granting the interim relief to Mungase on Wednesday, directed the Ambernath police, who have registered the offence against the rapper, to submit their reply on his plea seeking anticipatory bail.