Navneet Rana, a member of Parliament from Maharashtra, and her MLA husband Ravi Rana has been granted bail in a sedition case filed against them for allegedly “attempting to instigate communal violence by reciting Hanuman Chalisa in front of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence.”
Bail was granted on the condition that each bond is for Rs 50,000 and that one or more sureties be for the same amount. The pair was cautioned by the court against tampering with evidence or committing a similar offence in the future. It also prohibited the Ranas from commenting about the matter in the media. Breach of any of these conditions will result in the forfeiture of the bail bond amount.
Initially, a Mumbai court on Sunday ordered Navneet Rana, a member of Parliament, and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana, to be held in judicial custody till May 6. In connection with their threats to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, the couple was detained on April 23 for allegedly “promoting hatred amongst various communities.”
Beyond sedition, they were charged under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to “promoting enmity among different groups,” “criminal act by a group with a common intention,” “disobeying orders to maintain law and order,” and “assault to deter a public servant from discharging duty,” and “disobeying orders to deter a public servant from discharging duty.”
According to the Ranas, they are required to participate in the inquiry. Those who get a call from the police are required to show up. The court has ordered the investigating officer to provide the Ranas with 24 hours’ notice before summoning them to appear in court for questioning.
Navneet Rana had previously expressed her dissatisfaction with the police’s response to her medical condition. According to her, she was suffering from spondylosis and was forced to sit and lay on the ground for long periods of time for hours.
