Hanuman Chalisa row: Arrest of Rana couple absolutely illegal, says lawyer

Navneet and Ravi Rana were arrested by the Mumbai Police on Saturday evening for allegedly "creating enmity between different groups". The arrest came hours after they called off plans to recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of 'Matoshree', the home of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, at 9 am.

The lawyer of Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband and Independent MLA Ravi Rana said on Saturday that the arrest of the Maharashtra-based politicians is absolutely illegal.

Khar Police arrest Independent MP from Amravati Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana after their announcement of reciting the 'Hanuman Chalisa' outside 'Matoshree', in Mumbai on April 23, 2022 (ANI)

Speaking to news agency ANI, Rizwan Merchant, the lawyer of the political couple, said, “FIR filed against Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana under sections 153A, 35, 37, 135 of Bombay Police Act. They have been arrested; the offence is bailable, but my clients say the arrest is illegal and unconstitutional as both of them are public servants.”

Calling their arrest illegal, Merchant added that both Navneet and Ravi were locked inside their house, honouring section 149 notice. “As per my instruction to my clients, a complaint has been registered against those who tried to attack outside their residence,” he said.

The lawyer also said that a lot of time was being given to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led Maharashtra government to take back “this illegal arrest”.

"Otherwise, if this matter goes to the court, we will take the release order via the court's proceedings... They were attacked even after they took back their protest," Merchant further told the news agency.

Navneet and Ravi Rana were arrested by the Mumbai Police on Saturday evening for allegedly "creating enmity between different groups". The arrest came hours after they called off plans to recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of 'Matoshree', the home of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, at 9 am.

However, their initial declaration to recite the Hindu devotional hymn, resulted in protests by hundreds of Shiv Sena workers, who gathered outside the Ranas' residence in suburban Khar, waving flags and shouting slogans. The Sena workers said that Ranas would not be allowed to leave until they apologised for insulting Matoshree.

Some party workers also broke barricades and tried to enter the couple's residence but were stopped by police.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), condemned the arrest of Ranas.

Leader of opposition in Maharashtra assembly and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the arrests were painful and embarrassing for the state.

Later, Fadnavis tweeted, “Heart-wrenching incidents in Maharashtra. When there is no action on attacks on Mumbai BJP's PolKhol Yatra and total ignorance towards threatening remarks for woman by MVA leaders, MVA slapped IPC 153(A) on MP Navneet Rana & Ravi Rana who just came for the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.”

Referring to Navneet, Fadnavis also said that a woman cannot be kept in custody at night and there is utter disregard to Supreme Court orders about the detention of women.

(With ANI inputs)