A court in Thane on Monday postponed a crucial hearing in the long-pending 2008 railway recruitment examination case involving Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray. The adjournment was necessitated by the absence of the investigating officer in the case.
Court Sets New Date for Next Hearing
The court has now rescheduled the proceedings for January 8. This case stems from violent incidents that occurred over fifteen years ago, during a period of intense agitation over railway job recruitments in Maharashtra.
Background of the 2008 Railway Recruitment Controversy
The roots of the legal case trace back to the examinations conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board in 2008. At the time, the MNS, led by Raj Thackeray, launched a fierce protest. The party alleged that candidates from Maharashtra were being unfairly sidelined in favor of applicants from other states, particularly Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
This alleged bias sparked widespread demonstrations across the state. The party workers were accused of specifically targeting out-station candidates who had come to appear for the exams.
The Kalyan Station Violence and Legal Charges
The protest took a violent turn at the Kalyan railway station. The situation escalated into serious clashes, resulting in injuries to several examination candidates. A confrontation also erupted between the police and the protesters attempting to control the situation.
Following the violence, police filed a formal case against Raj Thackeray and numerous MNS workers. The charges included serious offences such as:
- Rioting
- Unlawful assembly
- Obstructing government servants from performing their official duties
The case has been moving through the judicial system since then, with Monday's hearing being the latest chapter. The absence of the investigating officer, a key figure for the proceedings, forced the court to delay the matter once again, pushing the next hearing to the new year.
