A court in India's financial capital, Bombay, yesterday dismissed charges against a Hindu extremist leader of inciting sectarian riots in which 800 people - mostly Muslims - died seven years ago.
Thousands of Mr Bal Thackeray's supporters, who had threatened to "spill blood on the streets" if their leader was jailed, burst fire-crackers, beat drums and led victory processions through Bombay after Judge B.P. Kumde dismissed the case for being filed too late. "The offence cannot be taken cognisance of as it is time- barred," the judge said. "The accused is released and the case closed."
Mr Thackeray, who openly professes to be an ardent admirer of Adolf Hitler, heads the extremist Shiv Sena party, which is part of the Hindu nationalist-led federal coalition and is the main opposition in Maharashtra state.
Over the past week Maharashtra's Democratic Front government delayed the arrest of Mr Thackeray after he warned of trouble if he was jailed. It airlifted hundreds of paramilitary personnel from around the country and deployed them around Bombay and other Shiv Sena strongholds across the state, in a precautionary move against any outbreaks of violence when Mr Thackeray was eventually arrested.
Tension gripped Bombay as news of Mr Thackeray's arrest spread. Schools, offices and shops closed for the day, while over 20 telephone exchanges across the city broke down under pressure from anxious callers ringing their family members, police and officials about the situation.
Shiv Sena party members rioted in the state assembly following news of Mr Thackeray's arrest. They smashed tables and chairs, wrecked microphones and hurled paperweights, files and other missiles at ruling party members, who either fled or crawled under tables for protection.
Party deputies also forced parliament to adjourn in New Delhi by marching to the centre of the Lok Sabha, or elected house, demanding the dismissal of the state government which had brought charges against their party leader.
Mr Thackeray was charged with inciting party workers through articles in the Shiv Sena paper Samna (Confrontation) in January 1993 to attack Muslims and avenge the recent killings of Hindus.
Over 2,000 people had died in widespread sectarian violence a few weeks earlier - one-third of them in Bombay - after a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya, in northern India, was destroyed by Hindus claiming it was located on the birth site of the god Lord Rama.
The Shiv Sena party was founded 34 years ago by Mr Thackeray, a former newspaper cartoonist. He named the party after Shivaji, a 17th century chieftain who successfully fought the Muslim armies of India's Mughal kings to create a Hindu-ruled state.
