Complying with a Bombay High Court directive, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray today surrendered before a court here in connection with a 2008 rioting case in which North Indians appearing for railway recruitment examination were assaulted.
After presenting himself before the court, Thackeray, who was accompanied by his wife, moved an application saying he was surrendering.
Thackeray is likely to move for bail today itself. The court will hear the prosecution and the leader before deciding the bail plea.
The High Court had on June 16 set aside the anticipatory bail granted to Thackeray in the same case by a lower court and asked him to surrender before the concerned court by June end.
The Maharashtra government had filed an appeal in the High Court challenging the interim anticipatory bail granted to the MNS leader. Justice Rekha Sondurbaldota had noted that custodial interrogation of Thackeray was not necessary at this stage.
Upholding the State Government's contention that the Kalyan sessions court's order granting anticipatory bail to MNS chief had become infructuous as he had already been arrested by the Railway police, the High Court quashed the lower court order granting interim protection to Thackeray.
The matter pertains to assault by MNS workers on North Indian youths who had come to Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district for Railway recruitment examination on October 19 last year.