A Thane court has reserved its order in the 2008 Raj Thackeray assault case, where MNS activists are accused of attacking Railway Recruitment Board examinees, raising questions about the strength of the prosecution's evidence.
Key Points
- Thane court reserves order until May 21 in the 2008 Raj Thackeray assault case.
- Raj Thackeray and other MNS activists are accused of assaulting Railway Recruitment Board examinees.
- Defence argues the prosecution's case is baseless and lacks evidence of Raj Thackeray's presence.
- Defence highlights discrepancies in the prosecution's evidence and witness statements.
- The prosecution failed to produce key evidence, such as admit cards and identity proofs from the alleged victims.
A court in Maharashtra's Thane district on Monday reserved its order till May 21 in a 2008 case related to the alleged assault on Railway Recruitment Board examinees at Kalyan station by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists.
Eight persons, including MNS chief Raj Thackeray, are named as accused in the case. Two of the accused died during the pendency of the trial.
Final Arguments and Court's Decision
After hearing final arguments from the prosecution and defence, Chief Judicial Magistrate Abhijit Kulkarni posted the matter for orders on May 21, a court official said.
Defence Arguments in Raj Thackeray Assault Case
Appearing for Thackeray and the other accused, advocates Sailesh Sadekar, Sayaji Nagare and Shubham Kanade argued that the prosecution case was "baseless" and riddled with contradictions.
The defence contended that neither the chargesheet nor oral evidence established the presence of Raj Thackeray at the spot of the alleged incident.
They also argued that the prosecution had failed to produce any evidence of provocative speeches allegedly made by him.
Prosecution's Evidence Challenged
The defence pointed to discrepancies in the timing and conduct of the panchnama, as well as contradictions in statements of police witnesses regarding the arrest of one accused.
The prosecution witnesses also could not not identify the alleged accused, the defence submitted in court.
They further argued that although the prosecution claimed nearly 150 students had appeared for the railway examination, no admit cards, identity proofs or related records were produced before the court.
