PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday quashed the charge sheet against Health Minister Vishwajit Rane in the threat to kill case filed by advocate Aires Rodrigues after he fulfilled the directions given by the court to deposit Rs 1.50 lakh in the Goa State Legal Aid fund.
The court on Thursday morning directed Rane to deposit the amount, which he did by demand draft the same day and the court passed an order quashing the charge sheet in the evening.
Rane was facing trial under Section 506 (threat to kill) of IPC at JMFC Panjim for having allegedly telephonically threatened to kill Rodrigues on July 31, 2007. An offence under Section 506 is punishable with imprisonment of up to 7 years.
In the 73-page chargesheet filed against Rane, Old Goa Police had named nine witnesses including his wife Divya Rane.
On July 21, 2010 a Division bench of the High Court had quashed the charge sheet against Rane while holding that an offence under Section 506 was non-cognizable.
Rodrigues, through a Special Leave Petition filed before the Supreme Court, had challenged the order. In January the SC set aside the HC order directing that the charge sheet against Rane be revived and that he face trial.
