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Mumbai: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray was yesterday arrested for inciting hatred between different communities but later granted bail by a Mumbai court.
The Mumbai Police arrested Thackeray from his residence in Shivaji Park and took him in a police van at around 4 pm to be produced in the suburban Vikhroli court where, three hours later, he was granted bail on a personal bond of 15,000 rupees (Dh1,389).
The police also took Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi into custody at his home in Colaba and produced him before the Bhoiwada court, where he was given bail on a surety of 10,000 rupees. Both politicians were on Monday booked under Sections 117, 153, 153-A and 153-B of the Indian Penal Code, sections pertaining to grave provocations leading to riots and disrupting communal amity, besides statements prejudicial to national integration. Conviction under these sections could mean a jail term of up to three years.
Thackeray's lawyers argued that he had nothing against North Indians but was only concerned about the burden on Mumbai's infrastructure, the illegal slums that proliferated and against illegal businesses, especially in giving licences to taxis. He also told the court that the onus of maintaining peace in the state after his arrest was on the government. Later, his supporters shouted and greeted him with joy when he came out of the court, followed by his wife Sharmila.
Concern
Incidentally, his mother-in-law had earlier expressed her worry over any violence in the coming days as his son Amit would be appearing for the tenth standard board exams scheduled to begin on February 22.
All day long, there was suspense over his imminent arrest as police hung around near his residence and at Vikhroli court, where the complaint against him was lodged by the police.
However, the police were caught on the wrong foot when they failed to convince the court that they needed to keep Thackeray in custody.
Hours before Thackeray's arrest, some 1,800 arrests were effected across the state, including MNS state secretary Vasant Gite in Nashik.
As news of the arrest got around, office-goers left their offices early. MNS activists roamed the suburbs forcing shops to down shutters, not even sparing poor vegetable vendors.
Violent incidents were reported in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan. In Nashik, seven buses were burnt and one man is said to have died when a bus was pelted with stones.
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