Hanuman Chalisa row: Rana couple file applications for home-cooked food in jail

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

Maharashtra MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana on Thursday filed applications before a Mumbai court, seeking home-cooked food in jail. The plea is likely to be heard on Friday when their bail applications in the impending Hanuman Chalisa row in the state are also scheduled for hearing, news agency PTI reported.

Maharashtra MP Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana were arrested for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups on Saturday, April 23, 2022. (HT_PRINT)

The stand-off between the Shiv Sena and the Rana couple ended on Saturday afternoon, with the arrest of the duo from their residence, following a case at the Khar police station. The independent MLA and his wife, who is an MP from Amravati, had called off their plan to chant Hanuman Chalisa in front of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's family residence ‘Matoshree’ in Mumbai.

They were still 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 Sunday, a court dismissed the request by Mumbai Police to remand the Rana couple to police custody for seven days on sedition charges. Instead, the judge sent the duo to judicial custody for 14 days. Then, on Tuesday, a Mumbai court dismissed their bail plea, and asked the special public prosecutor to file a reply on the petitions by Friday.

Navneet is currently lodged in Byculla women's prison, while her husband, who is an MLA from Badnera in eastern Maharashtra, is in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)