Pics by Rons Bantwal
Mumbai, Feb 13: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray was granted bail by a Mumbai court after being arrested from his Shivaji Park residence on Wednesday evening.
Thackeray was released on a personal bond of Rs 15,000.
Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi was also arrested from his residence in Mumbai and taken to the Bhoiwada court in central Mumbai. However, the court granted him bail and he was released on a surety of Rs 10,000.
Soon after Thackeray returned to his Shivaji Park home, senior MNS leader Shirish Parkar said the party was very happy.
"We are all very happy and we are celebrating Diwali now. We are celebrating advanced Valentine's Day today," he said.
Asked if he means the MNS won't protest or oppose the celebration of Valentine's Day, he said, "At the moment, we have other things to think about. So, we haven't decided anything about tomorrow."
Thackeray was taken in a police van to the Vikhroli court in Mumbai's suburbs after his arrest.
About two dozen supporters of Thackeray were with him at the time of arrest.
Raj had earlier stated that he would not apply for bail if arrested.
The city police had registered cases on Sunday night against Thackeray 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 B (assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 117 (abetting the commission of any offence by the public) of the Indian Penal Code.
If convicted, Thackeray could face three years imprisonment.
The police have taken the correct step in arresting Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.
Thackeray's arrest has shown that the Maharashtra government will not let anyone to take the law into his own hands, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said.
Meanwhile, the police made around 1,800 preventive detentions in various parts of the state to prevent any untoward incident in the aftermath of the arrests of Thackeray and Azmi, Director General of police P S Pasricha said.
Deshmukh ruled out any law and order problem in the wake of Thackeray's arrest. He said the police had taken adequate precautions.
Violence broke out in various parts of Mumbai following the arrests.
Shopkeepers pulled down their shutters and office-goers headed back home earlier than schedule fearing violence.
Police said at least 10 calls, a majority of them from the north-west suburbs, of stone-pelting were received from various localities.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Makrand Ranade said a couple of buses were targeted by a mob at Dahisar and many of them have been arrested.
He said a truck caught fire at Dahisar accidentally and the post-arrest protests had nothing to do with it.
Three persons were apprehended while forcing closure of shops in Jogeshwari locality, DCP K M Prasanna said.
Earlier in the day, six persons were picked up by the police on the charge of unlawful assembly from Pant Nagar locality in suburban Ghatkopar.
As a precautionary measure some schools declared a holiday after the arrests.
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Comment on this article
Lancelot N Tauro, Mangalore -Vasai-Doha Qatar
Fri, Feb 15 2008Indians are fighting againt Indians, tamashaaa, Its happen only in India. Bharath Mata Ki Jai
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BABU RAO, MUMBAI
Fri, Feb 15 2008Good job Thackery keep it up !!! if we all indians do the same with in our state, soon we can see that to travel from one state to another state we all need the VISA and that time nobody will like to stay in India. then how will we say MERA BHARATH MAHAAN. jab ke sab hai issme BEHIMAAN.mai to boltahu Pehle ye saare boode minister log ko line se kada karke GOLI maarneka aur unke badle YOUNG STAR ko minister bananeka.
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Yogishri Oumkaar, Patna
Thu, Feb 14 2008This was not just a political tamasha, they have also made a mockery of the lives of thousands of people. Every morning in almost all the schools, the pledge is compulsory "India is my country. We all Indians are brothers and sisters..... bla bla bla.....Sare jahan se achaa Hindustan Hamara....all these also seem to be a Tamasha to the new generations.
Think about the family of the HAL employee who was killed by MNS activists. The quantum of punishment for the person who should be held responsible for this killing was just a few hours of imprisonment and a bail amount of Rs 15,000. Is this the cost of a human life? Why shouldn't a murder case be registered against MNS?
This unnecessary and senseless violence has exposed to the world, the immaturity of the largest democracy of the world. The rich and powerful can easily get away with almost any crime they commit. Now, let us stop taking pride in calling ourselves a democracy.
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A.R. Dharni, Mumbai
Thu, Feb 14 2008Now it's a time for Maharastra Government to arrest paper tiger Bal Tackery for killing thousands of innocents in Bombay riots by respecting justice Shri Krishna Report. Can you do it?
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Mushtaq Hasan, Mangalore - Riyadh
Thu, Feb 14 2008Very nice photos, we are very much happy about Daiji,s coverage. Keep up good job.
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