The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to grant an anticipatory bail to Maharashtra BJP MLA and Union Minister Narayan Rane’s son Nitesh Rane in an alleged attempt to murder case.
After hearing pre-arrest bail pleas made by Nitesh Rane and others, A single bench of HC justice C.V. Bhadang also refused relief to another accused Sandesh alias Gotya Sawant, while he granted bail to co-accused Manish Dalvi. Dalvi’s name does not figure in the complaint filed in the case.
Nitesh has been charged with Sections 307 (attmpt to murder), 120- B (conspiracy) read with 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
Nitesh has been named as the key conspirator behind an attempt to murder Shiv Sena leader Santosh Manohar Parab, who was knocked down from behind by a car on December 18,2021, while he was returning home by a motorcycle at Kankavali in Sindudurg district which is Ranes’ political bastion.
The prosecution’s case that a conspiracy was hatched in which one Sachin Satpute was entrusted “to assault and criminally intimidate the complainant/injured”. Satpute (A6) with the help of Dhiraj Jadhao who is bodyguard of Sachin Satpute) and accused Sneha Chavan, Dnyaneshwar @ Mauli who were part of the conspiracy. Both Nitesh and Gotya Sawant are alleged to have hatched the conspiracy to make an attempt o the life of Parab.
Among other things, the Prosecution opposed the anticipatory bail being granted to Nitesh and Gotya Sawant on the ground that there were all five cases against Applicant number one ( Nitesh) and 26 cases against Applicant No 2. The Prosecution also told the court Nitesh was arrested by the Kankvali police under Section 353, 332, 342, 324, 147, 143, 148, 149, 323, 504, 506, 109 and 120-B of IPC and Section 3 of the Damage to Public Property Act.
On his part, Nitesh’s senior counsel Niteen Pradhan requested the court to extend his clients protection from arrest for another week to enable them to decide on future course of action..
However, Special Public Prosecutor Sudeep Pasbola told the court that there was no interim protection either before the Sessions Judge or before this Court operating in favour of the Applicants.
However, the Investigating Officer had made a statement that no coercive or precipitative steps shall be taken against the Applicants, during the pendency of the application before this Court.The Special Public Prosecutor also assured the high court after taking specific instructions, the Investigating Officer’s assurance would continue till January 27.
Meanwhile, while granting bail to co-accused Manish Dalvi, the high court directed him to remain present at the Kankavli police station on January 20, 21 and 22, 2021 between 11 am and 1 pm, and thereafter “as and when called by the Investigating Officer”. The high court directed Dalvi to surrender his passport, if any, before the Investigating officer and not to leave Sindhudurg District without prior intimation to the investigating officer until further orders. The court also asked him to co-operate with the investigating agency and not to make any attempt to directly or indirectly contact or influence the witnesses. or to tamper with the prosecution evidence.