Thane: A sessions court has refused to grant ex parte interim protection to former Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut and his family members sought in their anticipatory bail plea filed over a case alleging cruelty and occult practices on his daughter-in-law. It observed that the allegations were “very serious” and did not justify protection from arrest without hearing the prosecution.The court is scheduled to take up the anticipatory bail plea on July 23.Meanwhile, Thane police on Wednesday arrested a second aide of the alleged occultist, Firoz Sheikh, who was arrested last week. This aide is suspected to having assisted Sheikh in carrying out forced occult rituals on Raut’s daughter-in-law, Girija, police said. —Nishikant Karlikar
