Mumbai, Nov.18 Mumbai Police on Wednesday filed a charge sheet, running into 73 pages, in a local court against Raj Thackeray, Chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and 20 others for causing riots and assaulting north Indian students appearing for a Railway Recruitment examination here in 2008. .

Raj Thackeray and other accused have reportedly been given a copy of the chargesheet through their lawyer Sayaji Nangre.

Charges have been made against the accused persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) such as 142 (unlawful assembly), 144 (joining unlawful assembly with deadly weapons), 145 (joining unlawful assembly knowing it has been commanded to disperse), 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on various grounds and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153(B) (Imputations prejudicial to National Integration), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The incident occurred when MNS' agitation against the Railway's policy to issue advertisements in newspapers in north India to attract candidates from that region instead of giving priority to the local people. (ANI)