New Delhi: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla has sought details from the Maharashtra government within 24 hours on the arrest of independent MP Navneet Rana in Mumbai, following allegations made by the Amravati lawmaker against the state police over “inhuman treatment” after her arrest two days ago.
According to the Indian Express, the details of the incident were sought by the speaker through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana were arrested on April 23, Saturday after they gave a call for the chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Mumbai, which had triggered angry protests by Shiv Sainiks.
The couple, now in jail, later withdrew their call, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai for an event, reported PTI. Police registered FIRs against them on charges of sedition and spreading enmity among other sections.
Rana wrote a letter to the Lok Sabha speaker on April 25, accusing the Mumbai Police of not providing her drinking water in custody while allegedly citing her “neechi zaat” (lower caste), and abusing her on the basis of caste, the Indian Express reported. The Amravati constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Castes.
As per the report, Rana in her letter to the speaker wrote: “I made several and repeated demands for drinking water throughout the night, however no drinking water was provided to me throughout the night. To my shock and disbelief, the police staff present told me that I belong to Schedule Caste and hence they will not give me water in the same glass. I was told ‘Neechi Zaat ke logon ko paani nahi dete’. Thus, I was directly abused on the basis of my caste and it is only for this reason that no drinking water was provided.”
“Further, when I wanted to use the bathroom in the night, the police staff present paid no heed to my demands. I was again abused in the most filthy language and several abuses on the ground that I belong to Scheduled Caste were hurled at me. I was told that we don’t let people from neechi zaat Scheduled Castes use our bathrooms.”
However, a senior IPS officer from Mumbai Police told the newspaper that CCTV footage at the Khar station, where she was lodged, and statements from the inmates in jail, who were also given water along with her, will prove that “her allegations are not true”.
Rana was later moved to the Byculla women’s prison on April 24, Sunday evening. MLA Ravi Rana is lodged in Taloja Jail.
In her letter, she further alleged that the police action against them is only on the directions of the chief minister, and sought action against senior officers for her arrest.
The Bombay high court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by the couple, seeking to quash the FIR against them in the Hanuman Chalisa row.
Incidentally, on June 9, 2021, the Bombay high court had cancelled Rana’s caste certificate saying it was obtained fraudulently using fabricated documents, and had also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on her. The Wire
