Derogatory remarks against CM not ground for sedition: Court on Rana couple's case

Mumbai: A special court in Mumbai granted bail to independent MP Navneet Rana and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana in a sedition case filed against them in connection with their announcement to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside the private residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Apart from the announcement, the couple has been accused of using certain objectionable and derogatory comments against the CM on which the sedition under provisions of Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code was charged on them.

Granting bail to the couple, the Special Judge R N Rokade, observed that objectionable and blameworthy statements against the CM does not fall in the lines of freedom of speech and expression, at the same time not the ground to invoke the sedition.

The special court that deals the criminal procedures against the MPs and MLAs in Mumbai is also of the suggestion that the elected people's representatives and political leaders are bound to facilitate peace and tranquillity and hence have greater responsibility.

The Rana couple was granted bail on Wednesday.

The Mumbai police argued that the couple was trying to disrupt the public order by their announcement, against their submission that it was to enlist public support they had made such an announcement.

The court, however, said that it did not feel the couple made the announcement with an intention to incite people to create disorder by acts of violence, nor it had an element of subverting the government by violence.

"Undoubtedly, the applicants have crossed the lines of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution of India. However, mere expression of derogatory or objectionable words, may not be a sufficient ground for invoking the provisions contained in Section 124A of IPC," the court said.