SC protects Maharashtra BJP MLA Nitesh Rane from arrest for 10 days, asks him to surrender and get bail

The Supreme Court Thursday directed Maharashtra Police to not to arrest BJP MLA Nitesh Rane for 10 days in an attempt-to-murder case registered in Sindhudurg district. Disposing of the pre-arrest bail plea of Rane, son of Union minister Narayan Rane, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana asked him to surrender before the trial court in the meanwhile, and seek regular bail in the matter.

The Bombay High Court on January 17 had refused to grant pre-arrest bail to Rane in the case, noting that a balance was needed between conflicting considerations of personal liberty and a proper investigation in the matter.

A single-judge bench of the high court had rejected the anticipatory bail applications of Rane and another accused Sandesh Sawant, but had allowed a similar plea of the third accused in the case, Manish Dalvi.

The case relates to alleged attack on a Shiv Sena activist in the coastal district.