Hanuman Chalisa Row: Rana couple to stay in jail till April 29 as court says ‘packed with bail pleas’

Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana have not been granted any immediate relief by the sessions court amid the row over Hanuman Chalisa. The couple will stay in judicial custody till April 29 now, until the next hearing.

Senior advocate Rizwan Merchant representing the couple said, “The next hearing is on April 29, by then we will file a reply. We will ask the police then why the sedition charge was added. Also, a withdrawal of plea is under process at the Bombay High Court.”

MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana were taken to Khar Police station on Saturday evening amid a faceoff over Hanuman Chalisa. The couple was later arrested by the police.

An FIR was registered against Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code. Section 153 A is imposed against those found indulging in “wanton vilification or attacks upon the religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc of any particular group or class or upon the founders and prophets of a religion.”

Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana had threatened to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, Matoshree. However, they had called off the protest on Saturday citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mumbai visit.

HANUMAN CHALISA ROW

The Ranas arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning. The MP-MLA couple had announced that they planned to chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree — the residence of Uddhav Thackeray.

HANUMAN CHALISA ROW

The Ranas arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning. The MP-MLA couple had announced that they planned to chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree — the residence of Uddhav Thackeray.