MUMBAI: A Congress functionary from Konkan, who had accused former Congress MP Nilesh Rane of assaulting him, joined Shiv Sena here today.
Sandeep Sawant, former Congress president of Chiplun taluka, was welcomed in Sena by party president Uddhav Thackeray here.
Nilesh, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, had been arrested by Chiplun police, after he surrendered following a complaint by Sawant in April that he had been assaulted.
Nilesh's surrender had come against the backdrop of a May 23 deadline set by the Bombay High Court, which he had moved seeking anticipatory bail.
Nilesh was accused of allegedly kidnapping and assaulting Sawant in April.
According to the FIR, Rane and others allegedly kidnapped Sawant from Chiplun and assaulted him on way to Mumbai for not attending a rally organised by Rane to demand reservation for the Maratha community.
According to Sawant, he did not attend the Chiplun rally because his mother was ill. Sawant was allegedly confined to a house in Andheri in Mumbai and later let off.He then reached Thane and got admitted to a hospital.
Thane police registered a case. Narayan Rane had visited Sawant in the hospital, reportedly to request him to withdraw the complaint against his son Nilesh, but Sawant did not budge.