Justice V R Datar, hearing a revision application filed by the state government on Thursday, granted a stay on the proceedings until the appeal was finally heard and disposed of. On February 18 last year, the state government had filed an application under section 321 of Cr.PC before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K H Holambe Patil urging that the case against Thackeray and others be withdrawn due to lack of evidence.

The magistrate, however, had rejected the government's plea after hearing arguments at length. Citing a Supreme Court judgement in the case of Jagannath Mishra vs State of Bihar, he had observed that cases where political leaders were involved should go through due process oflaw otherwise people would lose faith in the administration of justice.