MP Waikar, former Mumbai mayor among 36 acquitted in 2005 rioting case

The members were booked on charges including unlawful assembly, rioting, use of criminal force against public servants, and other sections of the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act in 2005.

Rane had announced his decision to join the Nationalist Congress Party, in a public function at the party office in Prabhadevi on July 24, 2005.

During the function, he was to address a public gathering. Before the function, a large number of Shiv Sena members assembled at the venue, with the intention to disrupt the event, the police had alleged. The police had said that prohibitory orders were passed disallowing any assembly of more than five persons at various places. But, nearly 100-150 Sena members assembled and tried to stop vehicular traffic, due to which a lathi charge was ordered. In the commotion, the activists started pelting stones at the policemen and the police vehicles were also damaged, along with BEST buses.

While witnesses, including policemen, had narrated these events, none of them identified any of the accused. The court said that the police force was deployed to maintain law and order yet several persons sustained injuries and public property was damaged but there was no evidence about the responsible persons.