Court refuses to cancel bail granted to Navneet Rana, husband

The sessions court rejected Khar police’s plea to cancel the bail granted to Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana on Monday

Mumbai The sessions court rejected Khar police’s plea to cancel the bail granted to Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana on Monday.

The Khar police sought the cancellation for violation of a bail condition. However, the court observed that the violations were not such to affect the case (BHushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The Khar police sought the cancellation for violation of a bail condition. However, the court observed that the violations were not such to affect the case.

The couple was arrested on April 23 following their call to chant the Hanuman Chalisa in front of then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s family residence, Matoshree. The court had granted them bail on May 4.

Five days later, on May 9, Khar police had moved a plea seeking issuance of non-bailable warrants for their re-arrest on the grounds that they had breached bail conditions and hence, as per the terms of the bail order, the bail granted to them stood cancelled automatically.

The court had in bail order restrained the couple from making any statements to the media related to the case and the police claimed that the couple had made several statements.

The plea cited statements of the couple after they came out on bail, declaring that they were ready to go to jail for 14 years, if chanting Hanuman Chalisa was an offence. They had also challenged Thackeray to contest elections from any assembly constituency and prove his popularity.

However, the defence had contended that no separate case was registered against Ranas for their remarks and thus, it cannot be considered as violations.