The CBI today filed a closure report in a shooting case in which Nitesh Rane, son of senior Maharashtra Congress minister Narayan Rane, is accused of firing at a member of his NGO ‘Swabhiman Sanghatna’ in 2010.
“We filed the closure report in the local metropolitan magistrate’s court today. During the investigation the allegation of firing was not found to be correct”, a CBI spokesperson said, adding the hearing on the report is likely to take place next week.
Swabhiman Sanghatna member Chintu Shaikh had filed a complaint with Powai police on September 23, 2010, alleging that Nitesh, who was upset that day for some reason, had shot at him twice at the NGO’s Khar office. Shaikh had alleged that one of the bullets grazed his cheek, causing an injury.
The investigations were initially conducted by local police.
However, the probe was transferred to CBI by the Bombay High Court in March 2011 after observing that there were inexplicable circumstances which created doubts about the manner of probe.
The CBI then registered an FIR under section 307 (attempt to murder) and various other sections of the Indian Penal Code against Nitesh.
However, in March 2012, the CBI filed a closure report before a magistrate’s court stating that there was no evidence or eyewitnesses to prove the case against Nitesh. Shaikh challenged this report and in August 2013 the magistrate court rejected CBI’s closure report and asked the agency to re-investigate the case.
The CBI last month had informed the Bombay High court that it was going to file a closure report in the case.
