Somebody changed Bhujbal8217;s script

At around the same time, reporters waiting outside the court learnt of the compromise formula worked out to keep tempers down. Thackeray would drive down to the Mayor8217;s bunglow in Dadar around 11.30 am, allow himself to be technically arrested and brought to the Bhoiwada court around noon. The police would produce him for remand but not oppose his bail application. Thackeray would be out of there in five minutes.

Five minutes. That was all that the drama that Mumbai did not want to see, was supposed to last. After a meeting which went into the wee hours of Tuesday8217;s morning, the government, more specifically Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who was unflinching in his resolve to arrest Thackeray 8212; notwithstanding the Centre8217;s entreaties and the Governor8217;s warnings 8212; was only willing to grant him the honour of a symbolic arrest.

That way Bhujbal would eat his cake and have it, too. He would then have gone down in history as the man who forced Thackeray to 8220;surrender8221; to the law. That symbolic victory over the Sena chief, followed by his quick release on bail, would ensure the law-and-order situation did not go out of hand. Which would also prove another point: that the Sena was all bluff and bluster.

Thackeray could explain how he wanted to end the tension and surrender for the benefit of Mumbai8217;s people but Bhujbal would still have won the battle of egos.

Well, word reached at around 11.40 am that Thackeray had left the Mayor8217;s bungalow. Everything seemed to be going according to the script. Inside Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate B P Kamble8217;s court on the first floor of the Bhoiwada court, a clutch of cases were being quickly disposed of to November 9 in preparation for the VIP accused.

Thackeray, accompanied by Manohar Joshi, Uddhav and Raj, Narayan Rane and Gopinath Munde, entered the court just past noon. The government counsel P R Vakil told the court that since investigations in the case were complete they did not require Thackeray8217;s custody and so the court could pass 8220;suitable orders8221;.

That meant the prosecution would not object if the accused moved a bail application and they would all be out in no time.

But that8217;s where the plan started crumbling. The government had not anticipated the judge would grill them on the delay in the case. Vakil explained he was not asking the court to condone the delay but pass orders on a remand application. And as the judge grilled Vakil and took him through sections 167 2, 468 and 470 3 of the IPC, and started shaking his head in disagreement, it became clear that the proceedings which were expected to last five minutes would go on longer. Ten times longer to be precise.

And, finally, at 12.50 pm when he pronounced the words 8220;case is time-barred8221; and 8220;terminated8221;, the courtroom burst into instant applause and emptied out even before the judge could complete his dictation.

In no time, delirious Shiv Sainiks were out on the streets shouting slogans against Bhujbal 8212; as much for plotting it all as for failing at it.

A little later, as a triumphant Thackeray walked out of the Mayor8217;s bunglow after calling for Bhujbal8217;s resignation, a security guard of the Bombay Municipal Corporation bowed down to touch Thackeray8217;s feet. And, as he blessed the man in khaki, the smile returned to Thackeray8217;s face after ten full days.

And that, definitely, was not what Bhujbal8217;s script said.