Hanuman Chalisa row: Court rejects Rana couple's plea for homemade food in jail

Maharashtra MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana are currently in judicial custody. While Navneet is lodged in Byculla women's prison in Mumbai, Ravi is in Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

A magistrate's court in Mumbai on Friday rejected independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana's applications seeking home food in jail. The couple, who were arrested last Saturday after their call to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside Shiv Sena supremo and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's family residence ‘Matoshree’, filed applications for homemade food on Thursday.

Maharashtra MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana were arrested on Saturday, hours after calling off plans to recite the Hanuman Chalisa in front of 'Matoshree', the family residence of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. (Vijay Bate)

Even though the couple dropped their call to chant later, they were held and booked under Indian Penal Code 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 34 (common intention), and section 135 (violation of prohibitory orders of police) of the Maharashtra Police Act, on April 23.

The Ranas are currently in judicial custody. While Navneet is lodged in Byculla women's prison in Mumbai, Ravi is in Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the bail pleas of the Rana couple will be heard on Saturday (April 30) after Mumbai Police filed its reply in the case in the trial court.