Mumbai: A court in western Maharashtra's Sangli district has issued a non-bailable warrant against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in connection with a 14-year-old case.
In 2008, Thackeray was booked under Sections 109 and 117 (abetment of offence) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly making inflammatory speeches.
While issuing the non-bailable warrant on April 6, Judicial Magistrate, First Class at Shirala in Sangli district asked Mumbai police commission to arrest the MNS chief and present him before the court. The judge issued the warrant against Thackeray and another MNS leader Shirish Parkar through Mumbai police commissioner and Kherwadi police station respectively as they failed to produce themselves before the court during the case proceeding, said assistant public prosecutor, Jyoti Patil.
She said the court has asked police to implement the warrant before June 8 and produce both the leaders before the court.
In 2008, MNS workers had staged a protest in Shirala against the arrest of Thackeray in an agitation seeking priority for local youth in jobs.
A local MNS functionary claimed there was a government rule which states that political cases prior to 2012 should be withdrawn.
However, this case is being raked up as Thackeray raised the issue of loudspeakers atop mosques, he added.
Maharashtra police chief Rajnish Seth on Tuesday said Aurangabad police commissioner will take appropriate legal action against Thackeray over his speech against loudspeakers atop mosques.
Notices under Section 149 of Code of Criminal Procedure (preventing cognisable offences) have been issued to over 13,000 persons, he said.
"Aurangabad CP is looking into the speech. He will take whatever legal action that is needed," Seth told reporters, two days after Thackeray, at a rally in Aurangabad, called for 'silencing' loudspeakers from the mosques from May 4.
In the Aurangabad rally, Thackeray had asked people to play Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques from May 4 if loudspeakers there were not removed.
Earlier on Tuesday, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Seth and senior police officials reviewed the law-and-order situation in the backdrop of the MNS chief's deadline. "Maharashtra police are capable of handling any kind of law-and-order situation. SRPF and Home Guards have been deployed in the state," Seth said.
"I appeal everyone to maintain peace," he added.
Seth said police are prepared to maintain law and order in the state and stern action will be taken against anyone seeking to disturb communal harmony.
Leave of all police personnel has been cancelled, he said.
Police are fully prepared to tackle the situation in the state and have been given clear instructions to take stern action against those creating trouble, he said. Police have taken pre-emptive action against anti-social elements to avoid any untoward incident, he said.
—PTI
