2008 riot case: Raj Thackeray surrenders in court

MUMBAI: Complying with a Bombay high court directive, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray surrendered before a Kalyan court on Monday in a 2008 riot case in which North Indians appearing for railway recruitment examination were assaulted.

After presenting himself before the court, Thackeray, who was accompanied by his wife, moved an application saying he was surrendering.

Thackeray is likely to move for bail today itself. The court will hear the prosecution and the leader before deciding the bail plea, PTI reported.

Earlier, the high court on June 16 set aside an anticipatory bail granted to Thackeray in the same case by a lower court and asked him to surrender before the court concerned by June end.

His lawyer Sayaji Nangre said he would oppose the police plea for custody. After the court grants him custody, Thackeray would immediately move for bail.

The state government had filed an appeal in the high court challenging interim anticipatory bail granted to the MNS leader. Justice Rekha Sondurbaldota had noted that custodial interrogation of Thackeray was not necessary at this stage.

Upholding the state government's contention that Kalyan sessions court's order granting anticipatory bail to MNS chief had become infructuous as he had already been arrested by the Railway police, the High Court quashed the lower court order granting interim protection to Thackeray.

The matter pertains to assault by MNS workers on North Indian youths who had come to Kalyan for Railway recruitment examination on October 19 last year.