Congress MLA Nitesh Rane sent to 14-day judicial custody for assaulting PWD engineer

Congress MLA Nitesh Rane and 18 of his supporters were sent to 14-day judicial custody on Tuesday by Kankavali Court in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district. Rane and his supporters were on Friday sent to police custody till July 9 following their arrest for assaulting a PWD engineer and throwing mud on him. They were produced before the court after the end of their police custody on Tuesday. Since the court has now sent Rane and his supporters to judicial custody they can now apply for bail. 

The incident happened on Thursday after Rane arrived at Kankavali section of the highway with some of his supporters to conduct an inspection of the work done by the government authorities.  He also called PWD engineer Prakash Khadekar to the spot and reprimanded him over the situation of the highway, which was ridden with potholes.

The whole incident was captured in a video that went viral. In the video, Rane's supporters could be seen pouring buckets of mud on Khadekar and tying him to the railing of the bridge. Later, the engineer filed a complaint under IPC Section 353 (assault on government servant) against Rane and his supporters.

Rane, however, had justified his action and had said that now he will oversee the repair work on the highway with a stick in his hand. "Now I will myself oversee the repair work on this highway, with a stick in my hand. Everyday at 7 am I will reach here. Let me see how does the Govt system win against us. We have the medicine to tackle their arrogance," he had said.

Congress MLA Nitesh Rane: Now I will myself oversee the repair work on this highway, with a stick in my hand. Everyday at 7 am I will reach here. Let me see how does the Govt system win against us. We have the medicine to tackle their arrogance. https://t.co/QBPsx6B7kt

— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2019

Rane is the Congress MLA from Kankanavi area of Sindhudurg district.  He is the son of BJP-nominated Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane, who is a veteran Maharashtra politician and has earlier served as the chief minister of the state.