Navneet & Ravi Rana file bail plea in Mumbai Sessions Court; hearing likely on April 26

As Bombay High Court dismissed the petition of independent Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana's petition on Monday, the couple has now moved the Mumbai Sessions Court.

Navneet Rana & Ravi Rana's bail plea filed in Mumbai Session Court

Seeking bail in an FIR registered by the Mumbai Police against them on the charges of sedition, the Ranas have now decided to move to the Sessions Court. The bail plea is likely to be heard on April 26, Tuesday.

Navneet & Ravi Rana's Lawyer Rizwan Merchant said that the couple had decided to withdraw their bail plea pending before the Bandra magistrate court that had remanded them to 14-day judicial custody on Sunday. The Khar police booked the Ranas under IPC Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc), and 124A (sedition) which was allegedly added later, besides provisions of the Bombay Police Act. A second FIR was filed against the Ranas on Sunday under IPC Section 353 for alleged assault of a public servant to prevent him/her from doing official duty, to which the Ranas had taken exception and moved the court. 

Merchant added that the charge of sedition under 124 A carries a minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum punishment of life term. Therefore, the Ranas have decided to withdraw the previous pending application and filed a fresh bail plea before the sessions court bail as offence of sedition was outside the jurisdiction of the magistrate court.

Bombay HC dismisses Ranas' plea seeking FIR cancellation

MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi's petition to quash one of the FIRs lodged against them in the Hanuman Chalisa row has been dismissed in the Bombay High Court. The petition has been dismissed by a bench comprising Justices PB Varale and SM Modak, citing that it was 'devoid of merit'. 

"The people who are active in public life have greater responsibility...Great power comes with greater responsibility... The expectation of a response... it is not extra expectation...This is the minimum expectation ...These are two independent independents and not a part of a series of events... We see no reason on merit to indulge..." the HC said, dismissing the petition.

Hanuman Chalisa Controversy

The controversy over loudspeakers was ignited by MNS president Raj Thackeray during his massive rally in Thane on April 12. On this occasion, he asked the Uddhav Thackeray-led government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3, failing which he warned that MNS will play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers.

Even as the state government announced that it will call an all-party meeting to take a final decision in this regard, the situation took a fresh turn after the Rana couple decided to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside CM Uddhav Thackeray's residence, Matoshree, on April 23. 

Image: ANI