After allegations of mistreatment while in police custody were furthered by Amravati MP Navneet Rana, the Police Commissioner of Mumbai on Tuesday, 26 April, offered a rebuttal to the claims by sharing a video of Rana and her husband drinking tea at the Khar police station.
"Do we say anything more," stated Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey, posting the CCTV footage on Twitter.
This comes after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs sought a factual report from the Maharashtra government over Lok Sabha MP Rana's claim that she was meted out "inhumane treatment" by the police while in custody, an official told news agency PTI.
The MHA action came after the Lok Sabha Privilege and Ethics Committee asked the Home Ministry to seek a report from the Maharashtra government.
Reacting to Pandey's Twitter post, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, "I want to thank Mumbai Police Commissioner for giving a befitting reply. Bunty &Babli (Navneet Rana&Ravi Rana) alleged that police behaved badly with them on the basis of their caste. LoP wrote to Union Home Secretary for that woman. Should apologise now."
The Ranas had been arrested by the Mumbai Police on Saturday after they announced their plan to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence.
In a letter to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Monday, Rana had stated that she was discriminated against due to her caste while in police custody, and demanded strict action against officials concerned including the police commissioner. “I emphatically state that I have reason to believe that the police action against me and my husband is only on the directions of the Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray," her letter was quoted as stating by reports.
What's the Case Against MP Navneet Rana & Her Husband?
Amaravati MP Rana was arrested on Saturday along with her husband, Amravati MLA Ravi Rana, after the duo announced their plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Thackeray's residence, 'Matoshree', in Mumbai.
This had come amid a row in the state over the broadcast of religious messages and prayers through loudspeakers.
The Ranas were arrested under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 34 (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code on Saturday.
The Maharashtra government on Sunday further invoked sedition charges against the couple for allegedly spreading hate and dislike against the government and the chief minister.
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