Nitesh Rane, 8 others released on bail

TEAM HERALD

bureau@herald-goa.com

TIVIM: Nitesh Rane, son of Maharashtra Industries Minister Narayan Rane, and eight of his supporters, who were arrested on charges of assaulting three toll booth attendants, besides damaging the toll booth at Dhargal, were released on conditional bail.

The three toll booth attendants who were allegedly assaulted did not report to duty on Wednesday after insisting that the government should provide safety and security at the toll booths.

According to Pernem Police Inspector Tushar Lotlikar, Nitesh Rane, Harishchandra Sawant, Rakesh Parab and Prashant Malkar were released on conditional bail late Tuesday night, while five others were released on Wednesday evening.

“Nitesh and eight other accused have to report at Pernem Police station for three days and are barred from leaving the country without the permission of the court,” PI Lotlikar told Herald.

The bail application was moved before Mapusa JMFC on Tuesday night.

Adv Winnie Coutinho, who appeared on behalf of Nitesh and eight others, told Herald: “The bail order states that Rane and others are required to report at Pernem Police station for three days between 10 am and 12 noon.”

Meanwhile, the three toll booth attendants who were allegedly assaulted at the Dhargal toll booth did not report to duty on Wednesday.

Speaking to Herald, they insisted that the government should provide safety and security at the toll booths. “People from other states are unaware of the entry toll fee and often land up arguing with us. What happened on Tuesday was also a result of this ignorance of the entry fee,” said an attendant.

“Besides, we collect huge amount of money and we are also at the risk of being attacked and robbed,” he added.

A police official, when asked why police protection was not provided, informed that the contractor should have asked for it and they would have provided the security.

It may be recalled that Nitesh and his supporters went on a rampage at Dhargal toll booth in Pernem after being asked to pay the entry fee. Nitesh and eight others were later picked up by police from a hotel in Calangute, operated by a company owned by the Rane family and were later arrested for various offences. The incident sparked off tension in Pernem, after a large number of Nitesh’s supporters rushed to the Pernem police station and demanded his immediate release, while an equally large number of locals were also at the police station to demand action against the accused.