Hanuman Chalisa row: MP-MLA Couple Charged With Sedition, Sent To Judicial Custody

Mumbai: Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana were on Sunday sent to 14-day judicial custody over the Hanuman Chalisa row.

The MP-MLA couple from Maharashtra’s Amravati district was arrested on Saturday evening for allegedly “creating enmity between different groups” over their threats to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence.

The Sunday court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra, turned down Mumbai Police’s plea for the couple’s police custody and ordered judicial remand till May 6, reported India Today.

Sedition charge was added in the case against the MP-MLA couple as they challenged the state machinery.

Navneet and Ravi’s bail petition will be heard on April 29.

“They have registered false offense against us,” Ravi, an MLA, told mediapersons as he was being escorted to jail after the court order.

Ravi had demanded earlier this month that the CM should recite Hanuman Chalisa at his residence on Hanuman Jayanti, adding that he would go to Matoshree and recite it if Thackeray didn’t.

The couple backtracked after announcing they would head to Matoshree on Saturday.

Thousands of Shiv Sena workers demonstrated against the Ranas on Friday and Saturday, and the couple was arrested after an FIR was registered at Khar police station.