MNS supremo Raj Thackeray today extended support to the policemen who were convicted recently in Ram Narayan Gupta fake encounter case, and said low-rank cops could not have acted without orders from "above".
"Will lower ranks, like constables and police inspectors, operate without orders from above (superiors)?" Raj said while talking to reporters here. "Only Marathi officers get caught," he added.
Earlier in the day, he met relatives of police officer Pradeep Suryavanshi, who is among the convicts, and offered them support.
Raj's estranged cousin and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had earlier offered the convicted policemen legal aid.
Suryavanshi and 12 other policemen were convicted by Mumbai court for 2006 fake encounter killing of Ram Narayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya, an alleged aide of fugitive gangster Chhota Rajan. But high-profile encounter specialist officer Pradip Sharma was acquitted for lack of evidence.
The government should support relatives of the policemen, the MNS president said, adding that police were being demoralised by the Congress-NCP government.
