Rediff

Mumbai, Feb 13: The metro city police is all set to arrest Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday.

A senior police official informed that the arrest could take place in the afternoon.

Even as soon as the news of the MNS chief's imminent arrest spread, security was beefed up at Vikhroli court in suburban Mumbai where he is expected to be produced.

Dozens of MNS workers have been detained by the police since Tuesday night in anticipation of trouble in the event of Raj Thackeray's arrest.

Meanwhile, India's financial capital remains tense over the issue.

The police has been given ample indication that arrests of Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi are mandatory as they have been charged under cognizable and non-bailable offences.

The Maharashtra government has requisitioned paramilitary forces to meet any eventuality and security has been beefed in different parts of the city in case they are arrested.

Incidents of stone pelting and assault were reported on Tuesday from different parts of the state including Nashik Pune, Jalna, Beed, Aurangabad and Latur towns. Public property, including state transport buses were targeted in most of the cases.

The city police had registered cases on Sunday night against Thackeray and Azmi at separate police stations under section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153 A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of places of birth, residence etc) 153 D (assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 117 (abetting the commission of any offence by the public) of the Indian Penal Code.