Court issues notice to Rana couple after police seek bail cancellation

They had violated the bail condition of speaking to the media about the case: Special Public Prosecutor

The City Civil and Sessions Court on Monday issued notice to independent member of parliament (MP) Navneet Kaur Rana and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana, in the Hanuman Chalisa hymn row, after Mumbai Police sought cancellation of their bail.

On May 4, Special Judge R.N. Rokade had granted bail to the couple on a bond of ₹50,000 and directed them to not speak to the media about the case. Ms. Rana and Mr. Rana were arrested on April 23 for declaring that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence. They have been booked under Sections 124A (sedition) and Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code.

On Monday, Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat moved an application before the same Bench and pointed out that the couple had violated the bail condition of speaking to the media about the case. He said they had spoken to the media and violated the condition; it would therefore lead to cancellation of bail. Ms. Rana had made a statement directed to the CM and said: “I challenge you to stand for election opposite me in any constituency and to win the election which you would not, since you don’t know the power of women, which I will show you.”

“Her statement is a direct threat. Therefore, our application is not for cancellation of bail; it is for issuance of non-bailable warrant as the order stipulates that violation of condition would lead to cancellation forthwith,” Mr. Gharat said. “If they have grievances, they should have raised appropriate remedies before the court. They have gone to Delhi now, and even then, they gave interviews in the press,” he added.