Mumbai: The Mazgaon Magistrate Court has provided temporary relief to BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane by cancelling a bailable warrant earlier issued against him in a criminal defamation case. The case was filed by Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) leader and Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut.
The court granted Rane conditional exemption from appearing in person during hearings. As the minister is currently in Konkan, the court directed the Sindhudurg police station to grant him bail upon submission of a ₹2,000 bond.
This development comes after Rane repeatedly failed to appear before the court despite being summoned. Taking serious note of his absence, First Class Magistrate Aarti Kulkarni had issued a bailable warrant against him on May 16. For the June 2 hearing, Rane was specifically instructed to be physically present.
The defamation case dates back to political tensions in Maharashtra during which Nitesh Rane alleged that Sanjay Raut was planning to join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). In a media interaction in May 2023, Rane further referred to Raut as a “snake,” prompting the latter to initiate criminal proceedings for defamation.
