Hanuman Chalisa row: No relief for Navneet Rana, husband as couple to appear before court on Dec 17
Aspecial court that deals with cases related to Members of Parliament and Members of Assembly refused to give any immediate relief to Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana.
Maharashtra independent MLA Ravi Rana was present in court on Monday while his lawyer filed an application seeking that the case be taken on board and the bailable warrant issued against the couple be cancelled.
Advocate Rizwan Merchant appearing for Rana submitted before the court that Ravi Rana’s warrant be cancelled as he was present in court and that Navneet Rana be stayed as she was busy at work and so could not come.
The Bailable Warrants were issued for the couple last week for non-appearance in court for three consecutive days of hearing. Special judge RN Rokde, however, asked Merchant to avail the other remedy, that is, when a bailable warrant is issued against a person, then that person can surrender before any police station and then furnish the amount that is stated and come out on bail.
However, Merchant said, “They are public servants and the opposition will make an issue out of it. So I would request the court to cancel the warrant.”
Judge Rokde again stressed that the court was over burdened and so would be able to look into the issue only later in the day. Ravi Rana and Merchant then decided to come back later in the day.
However, Judge Rokde was still busy so the court asked Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana to appear on the scheduled date of the case which was December 14. However, the Merchant said that the winter session of Parliament was beginning from December 7 and would go on till Dec 29.
However, the court said that the hearing of the case cannot be adjourned to such a longer date. Merchant then said that the couple would be present on a Saturday before the court as the MP would be able to take a break from Parliament.
Thus, the court agreed that the couple would present themselves on December 17 before the court for hearing their case.
This case against the Ranas was registered at Khar police station under sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It was alleged that the duo was resisting arrest and obstructing police personnel on April 23, who had visited their Khar residence after their announcement that they would chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside the residence of the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
