COURT TO GIVE ORDER ON BAIL PLEAS OF RANAS ON MONDAY

MUMBAI: Mumbai sessions court on Saturday reserved order on the bail pleas of Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana.

After hearing both sides, additional sessions judge RN Rokade said he will pass orders on the pleas on Monday.

Senior advocate Abad Ponda and Rizwan Merchant argued bail pleas of Navneet Rana and her husband, contending that the two had no intention to spread hatred, as claimed by the police, whereas special public prosecutor Pradeep Bharat opposed the bail pleas saying their arrest was very well justified and necessary.

The defence lawyers argued that “a citizen has a right to criticise the government so long as it does not incite violence. There is no chance of inciting violence by chanting the Hanuman Chalisa.”Referring to the complaint, the defence lawyers claimed that it was only the couple’s (Ranas) decision to go to Matoshree and that to with no supporters. “Violence against the state was never in their dream,” they contended.

Opposing the plea, Gharat argued that their attempt was to show that the government was weak and the law-and-order situation in the state had gone out of control and as such the government was required to be dissolved.

Bharat said it was a part of their strategy to attack the government from all sides and the plot was to show the Maharashtra government was not promoting the cause of any particular religion. Gharat argued that the idea behind chanting Hanuman Chalisa was to show that the ruling party Shiv Sena had changed its stand and left its Hindutva agenda behind.

Justifying the charges against Ranas, the prosecution contended that the words used by the accused for the chief minister were beyond the limits stipulated for freedom of speech and expression. “There is clear material to show that they wanted to disturb public order,” Gharat argued.

The prosecution also expressed apprehension that if released on bail, the accused may sabotage the probe.

The Khar police arrested the couple on Saturday evening on charges of promoting enmity between groups and sedition, among others, for their insistence on chanting the Hanuman Chalisa at Matoshree “to remind the Shiv Sena leader of his Hindutva roots.”