BJP MLA Nitesh Rane moves Bombay High Court after lower court denies bail

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly member Nitesh Rane has moved the Bombay High Court seeking bail after a court in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra rejected his plea for bail in an attempt to murder case..The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, who is son of Union Minister Narayan Rane, is accused of being the main conspirator behind the attempt on the life of a Shiv Sena member in an incident which allegedly took place on December 18, 2021, in the Kankavli region of Maharashtra.His bail application through advocate Satish Maneshinde underscored that "this is a classic case of political vendetta or rivalry at the behest of the ruling dispensation against the applicant and his father.".He prayed for bail on the following grounds:That the FIR was registered with the sole aim of preventing Rane's participation in the Sindhudurg Co-operative Bank district elections that were to be held on December 30, 2021;That the prime controversy in the case was the recent "incident of cat-calling" outside Vidhan Bhawan, which involved State Cabinet Minister Aditya Thackeray, son of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray;That in compliance with the Supreme Court order, he had surrendered before the Sessions Court;That the complainant in the present case, a Shiv Sena party worker, was campaigning with Rane's rival candidate in the district bank elections, which implied that the case was borne out of political vendetta and involved false implication;That there is nothing on record to suggest that he will abuse liberty if enlarged on bail;That he has strong roots in the society with no likelihood to abscond or flee away from justice;That there is a third wave of COVID pandemic especially in Maharashtra, hence custody would be prejudicial to his health..The present bail application was filed after the District and Sessions Court at Sindhudurg rejected his bail plea today.This was the second time the Sindhudurg Court refused him relief; the first being Rane's anticipatory bail application..After Rane's anticipatory bail plea was rejected, he had approached the High Court with an anticipatory bail application which was also rejected on January 17.While doing so, it had extended the assurance given by the Maharashtra government that no coercive action would be taken against Rane till January 27, 2022. Aggrieved by this order, Rane approached the Supreme Court in appeal.The Supreme Court granted him protection from arrest for 10 days with direction to surrender before the concerned court and apply for bail. Accordingly Rane approached the Sindhudurg Sessions Court for bail..In the 19-page order rejecting his bail plea, Additional Sessions Judge RB Rote noted that there had been no substantial change in circumstances since rejection of anticipatory bail. Relying upon the Supreme Court order, the judge deduced that "custodial interrogation of the applicant is necessary for proper and effective investigation of the case". The reasons were as follows:Two accused in the case are still absconding;There is possibility of economic dealing/exchange of money;11 criminal cases are shown to be registered against the applicant including offence against public servants;If the applicant is granted bail, the investigation will be hampered; andRane's application for regular bail was premature as there was no accompanying written application for surrender.In view of these reasons, his bail plea was rejected..[Read Sessions Court Order]