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Wed, 13th Feb 2008   MNS' president Raj Thackeray has been arrested, TV reports said on Wednesday.
Earlier, a senior police official said that MNS chief Raj Thackeray might be arrested 'any moment now'. Security has been beefed up at Vikhroli court in suburban Mumbai where he is being produced after arrest.
Dozens of MNS workers have been detained by police since Tuesday night in anticipation of trouble in the event of Raj Thackeray's arrest.
The country's financial capital on Wednesday remained tense over the possible arrest of Raj and SP leader Abu Asim Azmi on the charges of inciting people.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil met top police officials in state secretariat in Mumbai.
[The state home department gave the go-ahead to the arrest of Raj, and he might be arrested anytime now, reported TV channels.}
MNS state unit General Secretary Vasant Gite has been detained as a preventive measure ahead of the possible arrest of the party chief.
Though the police are tight-lipped about when both the leaders could be arrested, they have given ample indications that arrests are mandatory as they have been charged under cognizable and non-bailable offences.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra government has requisitioned paramilitary forces to meet any eventuality and security has been beefed in different parts of the city in case they are arrested.
Incidents of stone pelting and assault were reported yesterday from different parts of the state including Nashik Pune, Jalna, Beed, Aurangabad and Latur towns. Public property including state transport buses were targeted in most of the cases.
Also, security continues to be tight in the vicinity of Thackeray's residence and the movement of the people is highly regulated. Media personnel are also being kept at bay by the security men.
The city police had registered cases on Sunday night against Thackeray and Azmi at separate police stations under section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153 A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of places of birth, residence etc) 153 D (assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 117 (abetting the commission of any offence by the public) of the IPC.  | 
