Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray was arrested in Ratnagiri in the wee hours regarding brutal attack on north Indian rail exam candidates by MNS workers.
A case was registered in this connection against Raj Thackeray and his supporters at a north-west suburban police station of Kharwadi, after MNS workers attacked 13 railway board examination centres in suburban Mumbai to protest against "inadequate representation" to locals.
Thackeray, who was currently on tour in western Maharashtra and Konkan region was arrested from Ratnagiri district and is likely to be produced in Bandra court in Mumbai.
The arrest of the MNS chief comes against the backdrop of mounting pressure on the Maharashtra Government to rein in Thackeray and his activists.
Earlier, a combative Raj had justified the attack on north Indians and warned the state that it will have to "regret" the consequences in the event of his arrest.
"Arrest me and be ready to bear the consequences.... you will have to regret," Thackeray, who was attending a ceremony at Bahadursheikh Naka in Chiplun in the state, said.
"If Raj is arrested, entire Maharashtra will be set on fire," he threatened.
Meanwhile, incidents of violence were reported across Mumbai allegedly by the MNS activists.
Taxies parked at Tardeo in South Mumbai were damaged by some unknown miscreants who fled on motorcycles, police said. Two separate incidents were reported in the North-West suburban of Borivali where miscreants attempted to burn trucks, they added.
Miscreants attacked a toll booth located in the north-west suburban of Mulund and set one of the counters on fire, police said. There were also reports of some unidentified men throwing stones at the suburban resident of Congress spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam.
Meanwhile, schools in suburban Mumbai have been closed as a preventive measure following the MNS chief's arrest.
Security has been tightened in the city to thwart any untoward incident, police said.
Reacting sharply to his leader's arrest, MNS spokesperson Shirish Parkar said, "There was no substance in allegations against Raj Thackeray. The state government was acting at the behest of Centre".
Parkar described the arrest of Raj as "vengeance" and political "conspiracy" by the Maharashtra government.
