Maharashtra minister’s son, two others wanted for attempted murder

MUMBAI - Police here are on the lookout for Nitesh Rane, the son of Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, and at least two others for an alleged attempt to murder a member of his NGO.

Besides Nitesh, police want Nitin Vardhanarayan, Zahid Shaikh and some others, who Thursday allegedly assaulted Shamim Jamaluddin Shaikh, alias Chintu, 35, a resident of Vikhroli East.

Aides of Nitesh, who heads the NGO Swabhiman Sanghatana, have denied his involvement in the case and alleged that it was a frame-up. Though investigations are on and an offence of attempt to murder has been registered by Khar police, there have been no arrests or detention so far.

According to Shaikh, he had gone to meet Nitesh Rane at his office in Khar West Thursday afternoon and offered him some sweets for a birth in the Rane family. However, Nitesh and his men suddenly started abusing and assaulting him.

Even as he tried to escape, an angry Rane junior whipped out a revolver and shot in the direction of Shaikh, who sustained a bullet injury on the right cheek.

A stunned Shaikh fled from there to his waiting car, which was chased all the way to Andheri East allegedly by Nitesh’s henchmen.

However, Shaikh’s car could dodge the pursuers in the evening peak hour traffic and managed to get him admitted to Hiranandani Hospital in Powai in an unconscious state.

Late THursday night, he told mediapersons that he would not rest till he brought Nitesh to book.

Shaikh is a former activist of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and had recently joined Nitesh’s NGO, Swabhiman Sanghatana. He claimed that many people in the NGP were unhappy with his entry into the organisation and occupying an important post, and they influenced Nitesh against him.

Shaikh’s wife Simran said they enjoyed very good relations with the Rane family and she even tied a ‘rakhi’ on Nitesh on Rakshabandhan every year.

“Hence, this attempt on my husband’s life is strange and inexplicable and we shall not sit quiet,” Simran vowed in a television channel interview.