Ranjit Mahanti
THERE is good news for Nitesh Rane, chief of Swabhiman Sanghatana and son of state industries minister Narayan Rane. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that it was going to file second closure report before a magistrate in which Rane allegedly opened fire at his NGO member Chintu Shaikh.
The High Court posted the matter for further hearing on June 10 and issued notice to Shaikh. A division bench of Justices N H Patil and Anujha Prabhudessai was hearing a petition filed by Nitesh Rane seeking quashing of the FIR.
On September 23, 2010 Shaikh had filed a complaint in Powai police station alleging that Nitesh had shot at him twice at the NGO’s Khar office. Shaikh had alleged that a bullet grazed his cheek causing an injury. CBI has also filed an FIR under section 307 (attempt to murder) and various other sections of the IPC against Nitesh after the Bombay High Court transferred probe into the case to CBI in March 2011 after observing that there were inexplicable circumstances which created doubts about the manner of probe.
However, in March 2012, CBI filed first closure report before a magistrate’s court stating that there was no evidence or eyewitnesses to prove the case against Nitesh.
Shaikh challenged this report and in August 2013, the magistrate court rejected CBI’s closure report and asked the agency to re-investigate the case.