Hanuman Chalisa row: HC refuses to quash FIR against MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana

Khar police has charged the couple with two FIRs including a charge of promoting enmity between different religions

The Bombay High Court has dismissed the plea of the Rana-couple - Ravi Rana and Navneet Kaur Rana - seeking to quash the two FIRs against them even as Maharashtra’s Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the lady was mistreated in police custody.

While Ravi Rana, three-time independent MLA from Badnera, is lodged in the central prison on Taloja, Navneet Kaur Rana, the independent MP from Amravati, has been moved to the women’s jail in Byculla.

Navneet Kaur Rana, through her lawyer Rizwan Merchant, has sent a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, about the alleged harassment meted out to her in the Khar police station.

Addressing a news conference, Fadnavis alleged: “While in the police custody, she was mistreated. She faced casteist slur, and she was abused. Even water was not given to her for drinking….she was not given permission to go to the washroom….through her lawyer, she has sent a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.”

Maharashtra’s state Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, however, has denied the charges. “These are baseless allegations,” he said.

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice P B Varale and Justice S M Modak rejected the plea of the Rana-couple seeking quashing of the two FIRs.

The judges found merit in the submissions of Special Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat vis-a-vis the politician couple’s plans to recite Hanuman-chalisa outside Matoshree, the bungalow of Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in Bandra.

“Such a declaration that a person would recite some religious verses either in the personal residence of another person or even at a public place is certainly firstly a breach of personal liberty of another person...Secondly, if a declaration is made that a particular religious verse will be recited on public streets, the state is justified in carrying apprehension that such act would result in disturbance to law and order,” the court observed.

The Ranas were initially booked on Saturday under sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) , and section 135 of the Mumbai Police Act for violation of prohibitory orders.

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