Cong MLA Nitesh Rane, 2 others arrested for throwing mud on engineer

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress MLA Nitesh Narayan Rane on Thursday evening surrendered before Kankavali police.

Rane and two of his supporters were taken into custody by the Maharashtra police for 'assaulting' a deputy engineer, officials said. The accused will be produced in the court on Friday. However, the search for other accused is on.

Earlier in the day, Nitesh Rane and his supporters threw mud on an engineer and tied him to a bridge near Mumbai-Goa highway in Kankavali, ANI reported and released a video of the incident.

An FIR has been registered against him and 40-50 supporters under Sections 353, 342, 332, 324, 323, 120(A), 147, 143, 504, 506 of IPC.

Rane, son of former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane with his supporters was protesting the bad condition of the potholes-ridden highway. They later tied him to the bridge, ANI reported.

Apologising for his son’s action, he said, "This behaviour is wrong. The protest over the highway issue is correct but this violence by his supporters is not correct. I don't support this."

Asked whether he would ask his son to apologise, Rane senior said: "Why won't I ask him to apologise? He is my son. If a father can apologise for no fault of his, son will have to apologise."

In similar previous incident, Rane had thrown fish at a government officer attached to the fisheries department in Kankivali while complaining over issues concerning fishermen.

This is the second incident in a recent time when a son of a politician is seen assaulting a government official. Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Akash Vijayvargiya assaulted a civic official with a bat for opposing the demolition of an old house in Madhya Pradesh.