Hanuman Chalisa row: HC refuses to quash FIR against MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana

Mumbai, Apr 25: The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed the writ petition filed by independent MP Navneet and her MLA husband Ravi Rana, arrested in connection with the Hanuman Chalisa controversy, seeking quashing of an FIR registered against them.

The couple had approached the HC this morning seeking that the FIR registered against them by the Khar police in the city on the charge of deterring a police officer from discharging her official duties be quashed.

A bench of Justices PB Varale and SM Modak, however, said that it found no merit in the plea.

The Khar police registered two FIRs against the couple after they announced that Hanuman Chalisa will be recited outside Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's private residence in Mumbai.

On April 23, the police registered the first FIR on the charge of promoting enmity between different religions. It subsequently added the charge of sedition to this FIR. On April 24, the Khar police registered a second FIR against the Ranas under section 353 of the IPC for obstructing a public servant from discharging duty.