Overview
- The Thane court acquitted Raj Thackeray and six surviving co‑accused on Thursday, May 21, 2026, ending an 18‑year legal case tied to violence at the October 19, 2008 Railway Recruitment Board exam in Kalyan.
- The judge said the prosecution did not prove the accused’s presence or identity and found the overall evidence on record insufficient to support charges of rioting and assault.
- A Compact Disc submitted by the prosecution was excluded because it lacked the mandatory Section 65B certification, removing the only piece of electronic evidence the case relied on.
- Defence lawyers maintained Thackeray was not at the scene and pointed to missing admit cards, identity records and witness failure to identify attackers during trial, arguments the court accepted.
- The acquittal removes a long‑standing criminal allegation from Thackeray’s record and highlights how procedural gaps in handling electronic records and witness documentation can decide slow, politicised prosecutions.