Hanuman Chalisa row: Court issues notice to Rana couple seeking their say on why non-bailable warrant should not be issued against them

A special court on Monday issued a notice to independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA-husband Ravi Rana asking them as to why their bail should not be cancelled on a plea filed by the Mumbai police.

Special Judge R N Rokade issued notice to Ranas after briefly hearing the arguments by special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat. The court has kept the matter for hearing on May 18.

The police has sought cancellation of their bail stating that the couple allegedly violated one of the conditions imposed by the special court.

Navneet Rana, the Lok Sabha member from Amravati in Maharashtra, and her husband Ravi Rana, the MLA from Badnera in Amravati, were arrested on April 23 and later released on bail in an alleged sedition case after they said that they will recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree, personal residence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. They were charged with various sections of the IPC for sedition and prompting enmity between different groups.

On May 4, they were granted bail by the special court with certain conditions imposed on them. One of the condition was not to indulge in a similar offence and not to speak to the media.

Khar police filed an application through Gharat on Monday seeking cancellation of their bail alleging that they violated the condition of not speaking to the media. Gharat said: “The accused persons (Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana) have given interviews to media since their release and hence, flouted the condition imposed by the special court while granting them bail.”

“We are seeking for the bail to be cancelled and a warrant to be issued to the accused and they be taken in custody forthwith,” Gharat added. He further informed the court that the couple had gone to Delhi.

According to the police application, their bail order specifically said that if the accused violated any of the bail conditions then it would amount to cancellation of their bail.

Immediately on their release, Ranas started giving interviews to media saying they are willing to remain in jail for 14 years if reading of the Hanuman Chalisa is an offence, and made several comments on Uddhav Thackeray, the police mentioned in their application.

Published on: Monday, May 09, 2022, 09:47 PM IST