Ranchi, Tuesday 21 October 2008: Two non-bailable arrest warrants - issued by two courts in Jamshedpur - are pending against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in Jharkhand. The first case is for the alleged derogatory remarks made by the MNS chief against Biharis on March 9 last year and the second is related to provoking religious sentiments and beating up of north Indians in Maharashtra.

Sudhir Kumar Pappu filed the first case in Sonari police station of Jamshedpur March 11, 2007. When the police did not take any action, the lawyer moved to the chief judicial magistrate’s court on March 13. On April 19, 2007, the judge directed Thackeray to appear in court. A warrant was issued against him in May after he failed to do so.

Thackeray had moved the Supreme Court in May requesting that the case be transferred from Jamshedpur to Maharashtra. The Supreme Court asked him to move the Jharkhand High Court. In April this year, the high court asked the MNS chief to appear in the Jamshedpur court by June 12. But he did not do so and a warrant was issued against him the next day by First Class Judicial Magistrate Anil Kumar of Jamshedpur court.

Jamshedpur lawyer Hamid Raza filed the second case on Feb 2 this year. Raj Thackeray talked nonsense about Chatth Puja on Jan 30 this year. He tried to hurt our religious sentiments and his statement led to violence against north Indians, said Raza.

The court took cognizance of the case and issued an arrest warrant against Thackeray on September 30 and directed him to appear before the court by November 17. The warrant issued by the Jamshedpur court in this case reached the Mumbai police commissioner Monday. The Mumbai police now have to execute the warrant.

(Agency)