MNS chief gets interim respite from court

State brings ordinance to seek damages from rioters.

Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today got a temporary respite from a Kalyan court, which granted him interim anticipatory bail on the Government Railway Police’s (GRP’s) request for his custody in cases related to damage to railway property.

The GRP moved the petition after he was granted bail in two cases registered at Manpada police station in Kalyan.

Accepting the argument of Thackeray’s lawyers that he himself was not involved in the recent attacks by the activists of the MNS on north Indian candidates during a railway recruitment exam in suburban Mumbai, the court released him on a personal surety of Rs 15,000.

After this, as part of a state government plan, the railway police sought his custody. However, Thackeray’s lawyers moved an application for anticipatory bail. The court granted the request till October 24.

Meanwhile, amid sharp differences among the members, the Maharashtra cabinet today cleared an ordinance to amend the Mumbai Police Act (MPA). The amended Act provides for allowing the police to initiate proceedings to recover damages to public and private property from rioters as well as organisations and leaders leading the protests.

However, two former Shiv Sena leaders, Revenue Minister Narayan Rane and Public Works Minister Chhgan Bhujbal, as well as Water Resource Minister Ajit Pawar strongly objected. They wanted the government to think about the consequences of such a law and to clearly define “leadership”.

Bhujbal also told Deshmukh to probe if the allegation by Thackeray that advertisements for jobs in the railways were not issued in Marathi newspapers was true.

Meanwhile, curfew in Kalyan and Dombivali, the scene of the recent violence, was relaxed for a few hours in the morning. However, the curfew was re-imposed after 11am as Thackeray was to be produced in court.

Sporadic violence was reported in Mumbai, which was by and large peaceful. Elsewhere in Maharashtra, stray cases of violence were reported in Ahmednagar district, where MNS workers targeted buses and resorted to arson and stone-pelting at several places.

“There was no report of any major violence in the city and the situation was largely peaceful,” said a police official.

In overnight violence in neighbouring Thane, three persons, including the brother of a local MNS leader, were killed, Thane Police Commissioner Anil Dhere said.