Shiv Sainiks get bail in IBN attack case

Sunil Raut, brother of Shiv Sena parliamentarian Sanjay Raut, and 19 others arrested in connection with the attack on the office of a Marathi news channel were on Tuesday granted bail by the Sessions court in Mumbai.

Sunil and 19 other Shiv Sainiks, who were granted bail on a bond of Rs 25,000 each, were arrested on November 25 last year for vandalising the office of IBN-Lokmat and assaulting its staff.

The court had earlier rejected the bail pleas after observing that there was prima facie case against them.

Sunil and the others filed fresh bail applications in December last year after the police submitted its chargesheet in the case.

The court, on Tuesday, while granting bail observed that since chargesheet has been filed, investigations are over and the custody of the accused is not required.

On November 20, a group of Shiv Sainiks ransacked the office of IBN-Lokmat in suburban Mumbai and beat up the staff members, accusing the channel of showing their party chief, Bal Thackeray, in bad light.

Sunil has been named the prime accused in the case, as he had instigated the mob.