Nilesh Rane surrenders in assault case

Former Congress MP Nilesh Rane on Friday surrendered before the Chiplun police in Ratnagiri district in connection with the case of alleged assault and kidnapping filed by a Congress party worker. He was later he was produced before a court in Chiplun, which rejected his bail application and remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days. Now, Rane will have to move the higher court for bail.

A case was registered by Thane police against Rane, his personal assistant Tushar Panchal and bodyguard Manish Singh last month for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting Congress’s Chiplun unit chief Sandeep Sawant.

According to the FIR, Rane and others allegedly kidnapped Sawant from Chiplun and assaulted him on way to Mumbai for not attending a rally organised by Rane to demand reservation for the Maratha community.

Mr Sawant was allegedly confined to a house at Andheri in Mumbai and later let-off. He had told Rane that he could not attend the rally because his mother had taken ill in a nearby village and he had to rush there to be with her.

Mr Sawant has alleged he was confined to a house in Andheri in Mumbai and later let off. He then reached Thane and got admitted to a hospital. Thane police registered a case.

The Bombay high court, on Tuesday, had refused Rane pre-arrest bail and asked him to surrender before the police on or before May 23.

The police had told the high court that there were serious allegations against Rane and his custodial interrogation was needed as investigation was on. The police said the medical records show that the victim received head injury and it could be result of an assault by a hockey stick. They further told the court the victim was admitted to hospital for 10 days because of an assault on him.