Won't take coercive action against Narayan Rane on Nashik FIR: Maharashtra govt to Bombay High Court

The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that it would not take any coercive action against Union Minister Narayan Rane in the FIR lodged in Nashik over his controversial remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav ThackerayA division bench of Justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar was hearing a petition filed by Rane seeking to quash the FIR registered in Nashik and all other cases that may be lodged in futureRane in his plea submitted before the HC on Tuesday through his advocate Aniket Nikam also sought interim protection from arrestThe Union Minister was arrested on Tuesday afternoon from Maharashtras Ratnagiri district following his remarks made during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Raigad on Monday that he would have slapped Chief Minister Thackeray for what he claimed as the latters ignorance of the year of Indias independenceHe was granted bail by a court at Mahad in Raigad late Tuesday night and directed to appear before the office of Alibaug Superintendent of Police on August 30 and September 13Also Read Slap Uddhav row Narayan Rane files plea in Bombay High Court to quash FIR against himFollowing his remarks four FIRs were registered against Rane in Mahad Pune Thane and NashikSenior counsel Amit Desai appearing for the state government said no coercive action will be taken against Rane in the in the Nashik FIR till September 17 when the plea would be heardRanes advocate Satish Maneshinde sought protection in all cases that may arise out of the alleged statementWe are yet to receive copies of the FIRs lodged in Pune and Thane We are seeking protection in all cases that may emanate from the alleged press conference Maneshinde saidDesai however said a blanket statement of protection cannot be made as the petition only mentions the Nashik FIR The high court agreed and posted the matter for further hearing on September 17The court said the petitioner Rane can amend the plea and bring on record all the FIRsYou Rane amend the plea and bring all the FIRs Then we will consider the issue of protection Justice Shinde saidDesai told the court that the petitioner Rane should also desist from making such statements in future which may have some repercussions in the societyThe governments statement of no coercive action should not be misused and the petitioner should not make more such remarks Desai saidManeshinde however said he cannot give any such undertaking as the question is about his clients freedom of speech and libertyRane in his plea said he was falsely implicated in the case and that he was innocentHe also claimed that by registering multiple FIRs the state government was causing harassmentThere is a possibility of many more such FIRs to be registered against the petitioner in different parts of the state out of political vengeance and grudge the plea saidIt further said the alleged statement made by him does not attract provisions of the Indian Penal Code IPC Section 153B 1c remarks likely to cause disharmony or feeling of enmity or hatred or illwillThe court has given protection to us till next hearing and directed state government to not take any action in Nashik Cyber FIR Adv Aniket Nikam who appeared for Rane told middayRanes remarks against CM Thackeray triggered a political row and protests in parts of the state on TuesdayThe FIR in Mahad was registered under IPC sections 189 threat of injury to public servant 504 intentional insult to provoke break of public peace and 505 statements conducive to public mischiefThe Nashik police have issued a notice to Rane asking him to appear before them for questioning on September 2 in connection with the FIR registered against him there over his remarks against the CMThe FIR against Rane in Nashik was registered under IPC Sections 500 defamation 5052 public mischief and 153B 1 c remarks likely to cause disharmony or feeling of enmity or hatred or illwill a police official earlier saidWith inputs from Faizan KhanThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever