Hanuman Chalisa Row: Navneet & Ravi Rana move Bombay HC; seek to quash FIR against them

The Rana couple that was arrested by Mumbai police over the Hanuman Chalisa controversy on Saturday, moved the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the FIRs against them. Independent Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana were booked on charges of sedition for "creating enmity between different groups." The matter will be heard today.

In the petition, accessed by Republic, the couple stated that multiple FIRs were filed against them and appealed the court to continue all proceedings in a single FIR. The Ranas claimed that once they receive bail in the sedition case, the Mumbai police would frame them in another FIR on Section 353 for allegedly harassing a police official.

Here's a copy of the petition filed by Ranas in the Bombay HC

Rana couple sent to judicial custody

On Sunday, the Bandra court's holiday bench remanded the power couple to 14-day judicial custody. Though they applied for bail, the court asked the police to file its response on April 27 and listed the matter for hearing on April 29.

Navneet and Ravi Rana were arrested by the Mumbai Police on Saturday despite taking back their decision to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside 'Matoshree'- the personal residence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The announcement had triggered angry demonstrations by Shiv Sena workers outside the couple's residence. Navneet Rana has been taken to the Byculla Jail while Ravi Rana is in Taloja lock up. 

Separately, Police have arrested 13 Shiv Sena supporters for allegedly protesting outside the Khar residence of the Ranas on Saturday. They were released later on bail.

What is the Hanuman Chalisa Row?

The entire controversy over loudspeakers had erupted when MNS president Raj Thackeray on April 12 had asked the Uddhav Thackeray-led government to remove loudspeakers from mosques within May 3, failing which he warned 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 Matoshree on Saturday. 

Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut has defended the arrest of the independent leaders, saying there must have been some reason behind the police action. He warned Ranas, not to 'mess' with Matoshree or they would be 'buried 20 feet deep' into the ground.