Congress MLA Nitesh Rane held for throwing fish at govt officer

Police on Tuesday arrested Maharashtra Congress MLA Nitesh Rane in Sindhudurg district for allegedly throwing fish at a senior government officer during a meeting last week.

Rane was arrested along with 23 others at Malvan in coastal Konkan and produced in a local court, Sindhudurg's Additional Superintendent of Police Prakash Gaikwad told PTI.

He was charged with using criminal force on a public servant from performing duty, rioting, criminal intimidation besides other sections.

In a video clip aired by local news channels, Rane was purportedly seen talking to the fisheries commissioner of Sindhudurg in his office packed with people on July 6.

It showed that during the meeting called to discuss problems faced by fishermen, the legislator lost his cool, picked up a fish which was dumped on the commissioner's table and threw it at him.

The MLA from Kankavli in the coastal Sindhudurg district had then said he did so to protest the officer's alleged "ignorant attitude" towards the woes of the traditional fishing community of the Konkan region.

"There are two kinds of fishermen in Sindhudurg. One who use traditional methods for fishing and the other who use modern technology," Rane had said.

According to the state government's rules, fishing areas are clearly demarcated for both communities, he said.

Yet, those using modern technology often cross over to the areas earmarked for fishermen using traditional methods, resulting in financial losses to them, he had alleged.