Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana address a press conference, in Mumbai, Friday, April 22, 2022.
Highlights
- A Mumbai court has issued notices to Ranas & asked them to appear before it on May 18
- Navneet and Ravi were granted bail on May 4 by a special court in Mumbai in the Hanuman Chalisa row
- Mumbai Police alleged that Ranas violated the bail condition and thus NBW be issued against them
A special court in Mumbai on Monday issued notices to independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana seeking their say on why a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) should not be issued against them as they have allegedly violated the conditions of the bail given to them.
Earlier today, the Mumbai Police filed an application seeking the couple's bail be cancelled on the ground that they had allegedly violated one of the conditions imposed by the special court while granting them bail last week. Police urged the court to issue NBW against them as they violated the bail conditions.
"The accused persons (Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana) have given interviews to media since their release and hence, flouted the condition imposed by the special court while granting them bail. We are seeking for the bail to be cancelled and a warrant to be issued to the accused and they should be taken in custody forthwith," special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat told the court.
The court also asked Ranas to appear before it on May 18, pursuant to an application filed by the police urging for their bail to be cancelled.
On May 4, a special court in Mumbai granted bail to the couple on a surety of Rs 50,000 and the conditions that they shall not speak to the media on any subjects related to the case and tamper with evidence. The court also directed them not to commit a similar offence while on bail and the breach of the bail order will lead to the cancellation of bail.
Navneet and Ravi were arrested by the Mumbai Police on April 23 after they announced to recite 'Hanuman Chalisa' outside Uddhav's residence private residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra. This angered Shiv Sena workers, leading to tension in Mumbai and their arrest. Ranas, however, dropped their plan but were arrested by the police. They were booked on charges of sedition and promoting enmity between different groups.
While Navneet Rana is a Lok Sabha member from Amravati in Maharashtra, her husband Ravi is MLA Badnera in the Amravati district of Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, Navneet Rana has dismissed the allegation that she and her husband committed contempt of court by speaking to the media.
"We did not talk about the offence, how it was registered against us, reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' and Matoshree. We spoke about how I was ill-treated from the lockup to jail and how my health issues were avoided (ignored)," she told reporters before flying to Delhi where the duo will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Speaker Om Birla and others.
"It was important for me to speak up and the Constitution has given me the right as a public representative. Nobody should snatch my rights from me," she said.
READ MORE: Will approach PM Modi against 'ill-treatment' by Uddhav govt: Navneet Rana
