Raj Thackeray appeared in a Thane court to deny charges in the 2008 rioting case linked to Railway recruitment protests, asserting the allegations are false as the trial moves to its final phase.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday recorded his statement in a Thane court and dismissed the allegations brought forth by the prosecution in connection with a 2008 rioting and assault case.
Thackeray, who is an accused in the case, appeared before a magistrate in the Thane district court in connection with the long-standing case related to the 2008 Railway recruitment agitation by his party.
The proceedings took place before Chief Judicial Magistrate Abhijit Kulkarni and the primary focus of the session was the recording of the accused's (Thackeray) statement under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
This section gives power to court to examine an accused.
During the hearing, Thackeray personally addressed the court, dismissing the allegations brought forth by the prosecution. He submitted a statement asserting that the claims made by the opposing witnesses and complainants were "completely false" and fabricated.
The magistrate heard the arguments from both legal teams before concluding the day's recording.
With the Section 313 statement now on record, the trial has moved into its final phase.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 18 specifically for the commencement of final arguments from both sides.
The matter pertains to the 2008 protests led by the MNS against the Railway Recruitment Board's examinations. The agitation, which aimed to prioritize local youth for Railway jobs, resulted in several legal cases filed against Thackeray and MNS activists across various jurisdictions, including Thane.
Security was tightened around the court premises to manage the influx of party supporters and media personnel.
In December last year, the MNS leader had pleaded not guilty in the case.
The court has already framed charges against Thackeray and several of his party workers over an episode of rioting, assault on candidates, and attacks on police personnel on October 19, 2008, at Kalyan in Thane district.