India, May 25 -- A Thane court, while acquitting Raj Thackeray and others in a 2008 case of alleged assault on Railway Recruitment Board examinees at Kalyan station, has observed that the prosecution failed to prove the MNS chief's presence or that he incited the attack.

The CD containing the alleged speech of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Thackeray was never produced or proved in court, and as admitted by the investigation officer, was "left gathering dust" in the police station from 2013 to 2026, rendering it devoid of any evidentiary value, the court observed in its May 21 order.

It was further acknowledged (during cross-examination) that the injuries sustained by witnesses could also have resulted from a stampede triggered ...