The Bombay High Court (HC) was Thursday informed by the state government that the case against Congress MLA Nitesh Rane, over his alleged hate speech against Gujaratis, has been shifted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The HC has asked the state to file a report on the status of investigation after two weeks. Social activist Bhagwanji Raiyani said he had filed a case against Rane and his father Narayan Rane with the suburban Khar police, but no action was taken. The state, represented by its lawyer Hiten Venegaonkar, told Justices Anoop V Mohta and N M Jamdar that the matter had been transferred to Special CID at Belapur. “The CID Belapur is investigating the matter,” Venegaonkar said. Nitesh Rane, president of NGO Swabhiman Sanghatana, had allegedly criticised on Twitter the Gujarati community in Mumbai for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, and asked them to go back to Gujarat if they admired Modi so much. As the tweet kicked up a row, Narayan Rane, state Industries Minister, clarified that Nitesh's comment did not target all the Gujaratis, but only those who admired Gujarat more than Maharashtra. The PIL has sought the father-son duo be prosecuted under section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code for “promoting enmity between different groups”. After listening to the status of the case, the judges asked the state to file a report on the status of investigation and granted two weeks’ time.
