'Follow Process, Don't Make Us Do Registry's Job': Court To Narayan Rane

Union Minister Narayan Rane was arrested shortly after a court refused his request for an urgent hearing of his petition to cancel the FIRs against him over his comments on slapping Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Mr Rane had challenged FIRs or First Information Reports against him in at least three cities and had sought protection from arrest.

He had also asked the Bombay High Court to pass an interim order to protect him from any action.

A division bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar rejected his request to hear his petition today.

The judges said it was not in the rules and asked the lawyer to follow the procedure and file an application first.

Mr Rane's lawyer told the court: "The police have arrived to arrest him, they are waiting at his doorstep." The High Court responded: "File an application before the registry department seeking urgent hearing and then we will consider. Everyone has to follow the process. Don't make us do the job of the registry."

Mr Rane was arrested over his remarks on Monday at a "Jan Ashirwad Yatra" organised nationwide by the BJP for new ministers in PM Modi's government.

"It is shameful that the Chief Minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to ask about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given him a tight slap," Mr Rane had said.

Three FIRs were filed against Mr Rane in Pune, Nashik and Mahad in Raigad.

His lawyer said the police had not followed the procedure for arrest, which required summons for questioning.

Mr Rane had also approached a sessions court in Ratnagiri seeking pre-arrest bail. But he did not get any relief, with the court saying the case was registered in Nashik, so was beyond its jurisdiction.

Rattled by reports of his "imminent arrest", Mr Rane warned reporters that he was not an ordinary man. He said in the morning: "I haven't committed any crime. You should verify and show it on TV or else I will file a case against you (media). Despite not committing any crime, the media is showing speculative news about my 'imminent' arrest. Do you think I am a normal (ordinary) man?"

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