[Disha Salian defamation] Narayan Rane, Nitesh Rane move Bombay High Court for quashing FIR

Union Minister Narayan Rane and Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Nitesh Rane have approached Bombay High Court in connection with the case registered against them on the basis of a defamation complaint by parents of late Disha Salian, former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput..Both father and son were booked for allegedly making defamatory remarks and spreading false information about Salian who according to police had died by suicide on June 8, six days before Rajput was found dead in his home.They stated in the plea filed through advocate Lokesh Zade that if the FIR is read as it is, then no case is made out as alleged by the complainants. "The present FIR is politically motivated with malafide intention to harass the present petitioners and stop them from doing their work for social cause," the plea highlighted. .Nitesh Rane, had recently been granted bail by Sindhudurg Court in an attempt to murder case against him. One of the bail conditions was to 'not commit any offence' as that would lead to 'cancellation of bail'. The petition stated that the present 'malicious prosecution of political rivalry' was to harass the petitioners. "The possibility of registration of the present crime with an ulterior motive to create ground for cancellation of bail by Sessions Judge cannot be ruled out," the plea stated. .Aggrieved by the FIR, the father and son filed a common writ petition seeking quashing of the FIR. The two have been booked for offences punishable under Sections 211 (false charge of offence), 500 (defamation), 504 (intend to provoke breach), 509 (insult to modesty), 506 II (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with Section 67 (transmit of obscene material) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.They have prayed for quashing of the FIR on the ground that severe inequities and inconveniences would be suffered because of the FIR which is nothing but an abuse of process and attempt to violate their fundamental rights. .Meanwhile, the Mumbai Sessions Court at Dindoshi on Thursday extended the previously granted interim protection from arrest in the case till next date of hearing. The father and son had moved the Court seeking anticipatory bail apprehending arrest in the case.Mumbai Police filed a 7-page-affidavit opposing such application. The Sessions Court will hear the application on March 15, 2022.