2008 riot case: Raj Thackeray gets bail

Prosecutor Ajay Misar said that the court has directed Raj not to make any provocative speeches that promote enmity between two classes of society and should not influence the prosecution witness.

The prosecution said that they would be filing the chargesheet in the case once they get a sanction from the Maharashtra government.

"Raj surrendered before the court today following the Bombay High Court directive and later we filed for bail on the grounds that the investigation in the case is complete and the police will not require his custody for interrogation," Raj's lawyer Rajendra Shirodkar said.

The matter pertains to assault by MNS workers on North Indian youths who had come to Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district for Railway recruitment examination on October 19 last year.

Earlier, after presenting himself before the court, Thackeray, who was accompanied by his wife, moved an application saying he was surrendering.

The High Court had on June 16 set aside the anticipatory bail granted to Thackeray in the same case by a lower court and asked him to surrender before the concerned court by June end.

The Maharashtra government had filed an appeal in the High Court challenging the interim anticipatory bail granted to the MNS leader. Justice Rekha Sondurbaldota had noted that custodial interrogation of Thackeray was not necessary at this stage.

Upholding the State Government's contention that the Kalyan sessions court's order granting anticipatory bail to MNS chief had become infructuous as he had already been arrested by the Railway police, the High Court quashed the lower court order granting interim protection to Thackeray.

The matter pertains to assault by MNS workers on North Indian youths who had come to Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district for Railway recruitment examination on October 19 last year.