Booked for sedition, Rana duo sent to 14-day judicial custody

Independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife Amravati MP Navneet Rana were sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a holiday magistrate on Sunday, a day after their arrest following a high-voltage face-off with Shiv Sena over reciting the Hanuman Chalisa outside the Thackeray family's home, Matoshree.

- Swati Deshpande

Khar police on Saturday had booked the Ranas under IPC Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc), and 124A (sedition), 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.

The court rejected Mumbai police's request for their custody for "maximum possible" time for further probe and their interrogation, not satisfied with the reasons cited. The couple then immediately applied for bail, which will be heard on April 29. Public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat has to file his reply by April 27 to the bail plea. This means, for five days, the Ranas would be in jail.