BJP MLA Nitesh Rane surrenders before court in attempt to murder case

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane on Wednesday surrendered before a court in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra in an alleged attempt to murder case.

Nitesh, son of Union minister Narayan Rane, has been sent in judicial custody, said special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat.

"He has surrendered and sent in judicial custody. Now we are arguing before the court for police custody," the prosecutor added.

Earlier in the day, Nitesh withdrew his bail plea from the Bombay High Court. His lawyer said he intended to surrender and join the investigation.

District and additional sessions judge (Sindhudurg) R B Rote had on Tuesday rejected his bail application, saying the plea was "premature and not maintainable".

The court had also held that custodial interrogation of Nitesh Rane was necessary as probe into the attempt to murder case was "incomplete."

The case pertains to an alleged attack on Shiv Sena activist Santosh Parab during the campaigning for the Sindhudurg District Co-operative Bank elections.

The BJP MLA had claimed that he was being targeted by the ruling Shiv Sena (which heads the MVA coalition government in Maharashtra) as it felt slighted by an incident of mocking outside the state legislature complex here last month.

A Shiv Sena MLA had alleged that Nitesh Rane made 'meow meow' sound to mock minister and Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on December 23 during the winter session of the legislature.

Nitesh's father Narayan Rane, a former Shiv Sena leader, is a bitter critic of his former party and its leader, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.