A court in Maharashtra's Thane district on Monday reserved its order until May 21 in a 2008 case related to the alleged assault on Railway Recruitment Board examinees at Kalyan station by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists.
Accused and Proceedings
Eight individuals, including MNS chief Raj Thackeray, are named as accused in the case. Two of the accused died during the pendency of the trial. After hearing final arguments from the prosecution and defense, Chief Judicial Magistrate Abhijit Kulkarni posted the matter for orders on May 21, a court official said.
Defense Arguments
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 defense 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 failed to produce any evidence of provocative speeches allegedly made by him. The defense 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 could not identify the alleged accused, the defense submitted in court.
Furthermore, they argued that although the prosecution claimed nearly 150 students appeared for the railway examination, no admit cards, identity proofs, or related records were produced before the court.
