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Mumbai court issues notices to Rana couple as police seek their rearrest
On April 23, the couple was arrested on charges of promoting enmity between groups and sedition for their insistence on chanting Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence
Mumbai: A court in Mumbai on Monday issued a notice to Amravati Member of Parliament Navneet Rana and her husband, legislator Ravi Rana, after the police moved a plea for a non-bailable warrant for re-arresting them for violating their bail conditions. Additional sessions judge R N Rokade posted the plea for hearing on May 18.
Special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat on Monday filed the plea on behalf of the police, saying the Ranas violated one of the conditions imposed while they were released on bail last week.
On April 23, the couple was arrested on charges of promoting enmity between groups and sedition for their insistence on chanting Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence “to remind the Shiv Sena leader of his Hindutva roots.”
The sessions court granted them bail on May 4, observing though the couple apparently used “extremely objectionable” expressions and sentences about the chief minister and thus crossed the line of the freedom of speech and expression, mere use of the derogatory and objectionable words was not sufficient to attract the charge of sedition.
The court restrained the couple from making any statements to the media related to the case. The police claimed the couple has made several statements violating the bail conditions.
The plea cited statements of the couple after they came out on bail. The couple declared they were ready to go to jail for 14 years if chanting Hanuman Chalisa is an offence. They challenged Thackeray to contest election from any assembly constituency and prove his popularity.
