Mumbai: Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana on Tuesday filed discharge applications before the special court here in an assault case following their row with the police over chanting of Hanuman Chalisa outside the residence of then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Special judge R N Rokde sought a reply from the prosecution and posted the applications for hearing on February 2.
In the discharge plea filed through advocate Rizwan Merchant, the couple claimed that the chargesheet in the case had been doctored and engineered merely to malign and harm their reputation so that they succumb to the pressure tactics and political agendas.
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 had resisted arrest and obstructed police personnel who had visited their Khar residence on April 23, 2022 after their announcement that they will chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside Thackeray’s residence.
The Mumbai police had filed chargesheet against them.
The discharge plea filed by Ranas states that the video footage that the police are relying upon merely shows and depicts the ruckus created by the Shiv Saniks.
After the police had issued a notice to them, the Ranas had withdrawn their plan to go to Thackeray residence to chant Hanuman Chalisa, the plea said.
“The present case against the Ranas and chargesheet in the same is sheer abuse of the process of law and the same cannot be legally sustained,” the discharge applications said.
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