Thackeray stares at long legal battle

MUMBAI: MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who was released on bail on Wednesday, would have to prepare himself for a long-drawn legal battle in view of mounting pressure from major partners of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in Delhi.A day after MNS workers went on the rampage, the state home department led by senior NCP leader and deputy chief minister R R Patil registered a record 54 criminal cases against Thackeray in 27 police stations and arrested an estimated 6,000 MNS workers across the state.Director-general of police A N Roy confirmed that a large number of criminal cases had been registered against Thackeray and his supporters.\"After proper investigation and on the basis of adequate evidence, we have added his name as an abettor to the main crime. Of course, the law will take its own course in all these cases,\'\' Roy told TOI.According to records, offences for rioting, arson, obstructing public servants from performing their duties and conspiracy have been registered against MNS workers. In all these cases, Thackeray\'s name has been added as an abettor.Significantly, all the accused arrested since October 19 have been released on bail. If Thackeray is arrested, he, too, will be released on bail; but in that event, he will be taken across the districts. \"It is not necessary to arrest him in all the cases as, according to the law, he can be asked to remain present in court at the time of filing the chargesheet,\'\' a senior home department official said.Alarmed by the stringent criticism of the home department, it was for the first time that the law-enforcing agencies followed a strategy adopted for a hardened criminal.Once a criminal is booked, the police ensure that he does not get bail and is shifted from one court to the other. In the case of Thackeray, the home department has adopted the same strategy. \"We don\'t want to arrest him on a daily basis, but let there be a hanging sword,\'\' he added.On the large number of cases against Thackeray, the official admitted that more than the state government , there was mounting pressure from the Centre, particularly home minister Shivraj Patil, railway minister Lalu Prasad and fertiliser minister Ram Vilas Paswan, to take stern action against the MNS chief.\"If we hadn\'t detained him for two days, there would have been law and order problems across the country, particularly the north,\'\' he added.

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