MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana, who were earlier arrested by Mumbai Police following the Hanuman Chalisa Row, will now be facing 14-day judicial custody under Sedition charges. A Mumbai Court rejected the couple’s instant bail plea and remanded them in 14-day judicial custody where Navneet Rana will be sent to the Byculla women’s jail, while her husband will be sent to the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.
The Rana duo were produced before Bandra Court on Sunday, after their police arrest on Saturday from their house. Both of them were booked under Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 135 of the Mumbai Police Act (violation of prohibitory orders of police). Public prosecutor Pradip Gharat said that IPC Section 124-A (sedition) is being attracted in this case as the Rana duo allegedly challenged the government machinery and made remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Advocate Rizwan Merchant who submitted a bail application on behalf of Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana said that all the charges against the couple are baseless. Merchant alleged that public prosecutor Gharat has framed sedition charges against the Ranas on instructions from the police department. “Prosecutor Gharat was not able to show even a single word that was uttered allegedly by the Rana couple that shows disaffection towards the state government. The only content of the remand application was that they had prepared to come here for the purpose of chanting Hanuman Chalisa.” Advocate Rizwan, who appeared on behalf of Ranas stated.
Hanuman Chalisa is nothing but praise of Lord Ram & Hanuman… the place where Hanuman Chalisa was supposed to be chanted was outside the house of people who claim to love Lord Ram; question of wanting to chant Hanuman Chalisa should not be affecting them at all: Rizwan Merchant pic.twitter.com/UAmAMIj5tX
— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2022
Advocate Rizwan Merchant said that the entire case is bogus as section 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) cannot be applied for chanting Hanuman Chalisa. “They have a very strong feeling that they are standing on loose ground. They know of the possibility of release on bail & have thus prepared the 2nd FIR.” Rizwan added.
It is also notable that the couple had withdrawn their plan to chant Hanuman Chalisa before Matoshree, and they were actually arrested from their home. The sedition and other charges have been slapped on them only because of their plan to chant Hanuman Chalisa, which was not done.
The court has listed the matter for a bail application on April 29, 2022.
