Nilesh Rane arrested in case of assault on party worker

Former Congress MP Nilesh Rane was today arrested by Chiplun police in connection with the case of alleged assault and kidnapping filed by a party worker, police said.
Nilesh, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, surrendered before the Chiplun police in Ratnagiri district at around 8 AM today following which he was taken into custody, they said.
Rane will be produced before a court in Chiplun later today, police said.
His supporters gathered outside the police station when he surrendered. However, there was no law and order issue, they said.
The Bombay High Court had on Tuesday refused to grant pre-arrest bail to Rane and asked him to surrender before police on or before May 23.

The police had told the high court that there were serious allegations against Rane and his custodial interrogation was needed as investigations were still on.

A case was earlier registered by Thane police against Rane, his personal assistant Tushar Panchal and bodyguard Manish Singh under relevant IPC sections for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting Congress president of Chiplun taluka, Sandeep Sawant, in April.
According to the FIR, Rane and his accomplices had allegedly kidnapped Sawant and assaulted him on way to Mumbai for not attending a rally called by the former MP at Chiplun in Ratnagiri district to demand reservation for the Maratha community.

Sawant was allegedly confined to a house at Andheri in Mumbai and later let-off, the complaint alleged.
Sawant had told Rane that he could not attend the rally because his mother was taken ill in a nearby village and he had to rush to be with her.
On the basis of the complaint filed by Sawant, the Thane police had registered a case against Rane and his accomplices.
Soon after the incident, Sawant was hospitalised and Rane visited him to pacify him. He urged Sawant to withdraw the complaint against him but the latter declared his resolve to fight the case.