MUMBAI: Opposing the bail pleas of Independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana, the police on Friday said that the plan to read 'Hanuman Chalisa' at chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's private residence in Mumbai was a big plot to challenge the law and order situation to such an extent that the recommendation can be made for dissolution of the present government by the governor of Maharashtra.
“The submissions advanced on behalf of the accused to plead their innocence is that if they want to chant 'Hanuman Chalisa', it is an act of prayer, therefore, how can it be an offence?.. alternatively, to say that praying to God and chanting prayers is an offence in the regime of present government.
How innocent these pleadings may look like, the respondent says that these submissions are most hypocritical,” the police reply said.
The prosecution also cited 18 alleged offences registered against Ravi Rana and 7 against Navneet Rana.
The court will continue to hear arguments on their bail pleas on Saturday. The Rana couple was arrested on April 23.
On Monday, the couple moved the sessions court seeking bail. Their plea said that the announcement to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside the chief minister’s residence was made for the purpose of enlisting popular support. Submitting that there was no intention to cause ill will or feelings of hatred, the plea said, “The government cannot afford to be hypersensitive, nor impervious to criticism. The call to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree cannot by any stretch of imagination be treated as an attempt to incite one community against another.”
However, the police in its reply said that the offences with which the accused has been charged are very sensitive and serious. “Therefore at such sensitive stage of investigation, the law does not permit the release of the accused on bail. Since the investigation will be adversely affected if the accused are released on bail,” the court said.
The reply further said that the accused are an MLA and an MP and they are representing the general public. “The accused always boast that they have been followed by few lakh people from their constituency. If released on bail, the accused would try to influence and tamper with the witnesses and considering their political standing and the support which they carry, they would interfere in the investigation and the question of law and order would arise if they are released on bail,” the reply said.
