Rana couple held after they drop plan to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside 'Matoshree'

The arrest was made on the allegations of 'creating enmity between two different groups, under IPC section 153 (A) and Section 135 of the Mumbai Police Act for violating prohibitory orders by police, as informed by an official at the Khar police station in western Mumbai.

Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Saturday arrested MLA Ravi Rana and wife MP Navneet Rana from their residence here in Khar hours after the couple withdrew their plans to recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray's house in Bandra. The arrest was made on the allegations of 'creating enmity between two different groups, under IPC section 153 (A) and section 135 of the Mumbai Police Act for violating prohibitory orders by police, as informed by an official at the Khar police station in western Mumbai.

Before the arrest, the couple was detained in their residence in Khar on Saturday amid high drama with the Ranas arguing with the police officials and demanding an arrest warrant. The couple reportedly said that they won't budge until the police take legal action against the Shiv Sena leaders Anil Parab and Sanjay Raut who 'threatened' them. Eventually, the couple set out and left with police in their vehicles after the officials reportedly managed to persuade the couple to go to the Khar police station with them. Both husband and wife were recorded sloganeering, looking at the Shiv Sena workers there before they climbed the police vehicle.

The Shiv Sena workers waiting outside their residence in protest since morning, led by Yuva Sena leader Varun Sardesai, had earlier said that they do not plan on letting the couple leave their residence without getting an apology. Someone among the crowd also reportedly threw an empty plastic bottle at the Ranas when they came out of the house.

Hours before their arrest, the couple had declared that they have dropped their stiff plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa in front of the CM,'s house, for which they had landed in Mumbai on Friday amid the rising political drama. In the morning, while the husband-wife politician duo from Amravati seemed adamant about executing their long speculated plan, the Shiv Sena workers had laid siege around their residence in Khar. The police also reported that barricades were broken, though eventually the situation was pacified by the officials deployed there.

Commenting on the arrests, BJP leader and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis labeled the state government's approach as 'extremely childish.' "If allowed, the Rana couple would have gone there (Matoshree), recited Hanuman Chalisa and returned without creating any news. I don't understand why so many people had gathered at several places as if they (the Rana couple) were planning some attack. What kind of politics is this?" the BJP leader said.