Mumbai: Narayan Rane, son Nitesh ‘trying to pressure probe officers’, calims Police

The Malvani police has opposed the relief of pre-arrest bail to Union Minister Narayan Rane and his MLA son Nitesh Rane and told a sessions court in Dindoshi on Thursday that the duo are pressurizing investigating officials by claiming falsely before the media after questioning, that they were let off after a phone call to union Home Minister Amit Shah. The duo had attended the police station for questioning on Mar 5 in connection with a complaint lodged in Disha Salian kins’ defamation case.

“After their questioning, they told the media that they had called Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the questioning, thus making a false statement. This shows that they are trying to pressurise witnesses and investigating officials to cause hurdles in the probe,” the response filed before the court stated. If they are granted ABA, they will not cooperate with the probe, the police told the court.

Further it said that when they were summoned, they kept saying that they would provide the information only to the CBI, but when asked if they had done so, they replied in the negative.

It pointed out that they had not come forward when it was probing Salian’s death and had put out a press note for anyone who has information on it, may come forward. “If they have made baseless allegations without any proof, their custody is needed to probe into the reasons why they are making such claims,” the police stated. The reply added that the accused are public representatives and their baseless claims are causing damage to the reputation of Salian and her family causing them harassment.

Salian was the talent manager of later actor Sushant Singh Rajput and had died by suicide a few days prior to the actor’s death. The complaint by Salian’s mother arose from a press conference held by Rane in which he made claims regarding the circumstances around her death. The family said following his claims, their friends and family had been doubting their daughter’s character and this caused them mental harassment.

The court on Thursday directed that no arrest shall be made in the case till the next date of hearing, Mar 15. Salian's parent also sought to intervene in the matter, which the court permitted.