A court here on Friday granted interim protection from arrest till March 10 to Union minister Narayan Rane and his MLA son Nitesh Rane, in a case wherein they are accused of making defamatory and misleading statements about Disha Salian, late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s former manager. Fearing arrest in the case, the father-son duo filed an anticipatory bail before a Dindoshi sessions court in suburban Malad through their lawyer Satish Maneshinde.

As the matter came up for hearing, special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat sought time to file their reply.

The court asked the police not to arrest them till the next date of hearing. It then adjourned the hearing in the matter till March 10.

Meanwhile, Mumbai police are likely to record the statements of the Ranes in the case on Saturday.

The police have issued notices against the BJP minister and his son under section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), asking them to appear for recording their statements.

According to the FIR registered by suburban Malvani police, the remarks were made by the Union minister on February 19 in a press conference, where his son was also present. During the press conference, the minister had made certain claims regarding Salian’s death.

The FIR was registered based on a complaint lodged by Disha’s mother Vasanti Salian after she approached the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission (MSWC) demanding action against Narayan Rane, Nitesh Rane and others for defaming the Salian family on various media platforms.

Salian had allegedly committed suicide by jumping from a high-rise in suburban Malad on June 8, 2020, six days before Rajput (34) was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra.