Mumbai Court Issues Warrant for Maharashtra Minister in Defamation Case

A Mumbai court issued a bailable warrant against Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane after he failed to appear in a defamation case filed by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. The First Class Judicial Magistrate Aarti Kulkarni made the ruling after Rane's continued absence.

This warrant marks the second such order against Rane, a BJP MLA and state minister for fisheries and ports development, in the past month. He has previously been shown as absent from court sessions concerning this case.

The controversy began in May 2023 when Rane allegedly made defamatory remarks about Raut, suggesting he would betray Uddhav Thackeray and join NCP by June. Raut subsequently filed a complaint against Rane, terming the statements as blatantly false.

(With inputs from agencies.)