Thane judge recuses from hearing pre-arrest bail plea of BJP MLA Ganesh Naik

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A Thane district court judge on Thursday recused himself from hearing an anticipatory bail application filed by Maharashtra BJP MLA and former minister Ganesh Naik in a case of alleged rape.

When the counsel for the complainant objected to one of the advocates for the applicant (Naik) appearing in the case, sessions judge V Y Jadhav wrote to principal district judge, "not before me".

The Navi Mumbai police have registered a rape case against the MLA from Airoli in Thane district following a complaint lodged by a woman more than a week ago. Fearing arrest in the case, the 71-year-old politician has moved the court seeking advance bail.

Naik has filed a separate anticipatory bail application in a case where he is accused of threatening the same woman with a revolver earlier. Judge RS Gupta posted hearing on the second pre-arrest bail plea for April 27.

Additional public prosecutors Vinit Kulkarni and Sanjay More opposed both the applications.

The counsel for the applicant, however, told the court the cases were politically motivated.

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