Maharashtra Court Convicts BJP Minister Nitesh Rane in 2019 Mud Assault Case

A court in Maharashtra has convicted BJP minister Nitesh Rane in connection with a 2019 incident in which mud was thrown at an engineer from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). He has been sentenced to one month in prison.

The case relates to a protest over the poor state of the Mumbai–Goa highway, during which Rane and his supporters allegedly hurled mud at NHAI deputy engineer Prakash Shedekar.

Rane, the son of former Union minister Narayan Rane, was one of 30 people charged with offences including rioting, assaulting a public servant, and criminal conspiracy. At the time of the incident, he was a member of the Congress party.

The Sindhudurg court cleared all accused, including Rane, of most charges after finding insufficient evidence. However, the Kankavli MLA was found guilty of insulting and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of official duties under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with intentional provocation likely to disturb public peace.

The court later suspended Rane’s sentence to allow him time to challenge the ruling before a higher court. The remaining 29 accused were acquitted.

Court’s observations

Additional Sessions Judge V S Deshmukh said that although Rane may have intended to highlight poor workmanship and the inconvenience caused to the public, he had no right to publicly humiliate a government official.

The judge added that if such conduct were tolerated, public servants would be unable to perform their duties with dignity. Describing the incident as an abuse of power, the court said such behaviour must be curbed.

Background to the case

On 4 July 2019, Rane reportedly summoned the NHAI sub-divisional engineer to a bridge over the Gad river in Kankavli to inspect work connected with the widening of the Mumbai–Goa highway.

According to the prosecution, Rane and his supporters, angered by the poor quality of the roadworks and severe waterlogging, confronted the engineer. Muddy water was poured over him and he was made to walk through slush in public view.

After reviewing the evidence, the court noted that the complainant held a senior post within the NHAI, yet was still forced to walk through muddy water in public, an act the judge said would have caused humiliation and insult.

The court concluded that compelling Shedekar to walk through the mud amounted to a deliberate insult and a provocation likely to disturb public order.