A Nashik court on Wednesday acquitted Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in a case involving an attack on a hotel by his party workers in 2008, PTI reported. Thackeray was accused of inciting his party workers to attack a hotel owned by a north Indian in Igatpuri.

The court said the prosecution failed to prove that Thackeray had instigated his party’s workers. Besides Thackeray, six people were accused in the case.

Five prosecution witnesses were examined in the case. “The complainant [owner of the hotel], in his testimony, said Thackeray was not present at the place of the alleged incident,” MNS lawyer Sayaji Nangre said. “The prosecution could also not bring forward any evidence to show that Thackeray instigated the attack.”