Thane Court Acquits MNS Chief Raj Thackeray in 2008 Railway Recruitment Assault Case

The Thane Court on Thursday acquitted MNS Chief Raj Thackeray and five others in the high-profile 2008 Kalyan railway station assault case involving non-local candidates, citing a total lack of substantial evidence

Thane | May 22, 2026: A judicial court in Thane has acquitted Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray and five party workers in connection with the multi-year-old case involving an alleged assault on North Indian students. The incident took place in 2008 at the Kalyan railway station during a Railway Recruitment Board examination. Chief Judicial Magistrate A. V. Kulkarni ordered the acquittal of all surviving accused, stating that the prosecution had failed to establish charges or provide substantial evidence linking them to the violence.

The legal resolution brings an end to an 18-year-old case that severely impacted the state’s socio-political atmosphere at the time. According to the defense counsel, the investigation failed to present oral or documentary evidence connecting Thackeray’s public addresses to the subsequent agitation. Furthermore, the prosecution could not legally substantiate that the individuals involved in the physical altercations were registered workers of the MNS, nor did they produce mandatory administrative records like candidate admit cards or exam database proofs to support their core claims.

The original case booked eight individuals following widespread unrest, during which agitating groups allegedly disrupted examinations and damaged public property to protest against the recruitment of non-local candidates over regional youths. With two of the co-accused passing away during the prolonged trial, the final judicial proceedings were restricted to the remaining six individuals.

Thackeray had previously appeared before the Thane court on May 6, where he formally denied all underlying allegations, branding the absolute framework of the case as unsubstantiated and fabricated. MNS administrative representatives welcomed the judicial outcome, stating that the decision vindicates their leadership against long-standing political allegations.

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