SC Protects BJP MLA From Arrest
New Delhi, Jan 27: The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Nitesh Rane, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA in Maharashtra, should not be arrested for 10 days for his alleged involvement in connection with an attempt to murder case. “We are granting interim protection to the petitioner (Rane) from arrest for a period of 10 days in the present case,” a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli said.
The Supreme Court also asked Rane to surrender to the trial court and apply for regular bail within 10 days. “The SLP (Special Leave Petition) is disposed of with a direction to the petitioner (Rane) to surrender before the concerned court and seek regular bail. He shall not be arrested for 10 days in the interim,” the Bench said. Rane had on January 25 moved the Supreme Court against a Bombay High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea. Senior lawyer and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Rane, pleaded to the Supreme Court that it was a case of political rivalry.
