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No case for sedition against Rana couple, observes Mumbai court

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 In an embarrassment to Maharashtra’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Mumbai City Civil and Sessions Court has observed that the Mumbai Police did not have sufficient grounds to invoke sedition charges against the independent politician couple, MP Navneet Kaur-Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana.

The observations came in Special Judge Rahul Rokde’s bail order for the Ranas – who were granted relief on Wednesday and walked out of jail on Thursday – 12 days after they were arrested on April 23 for threatening to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside the private residence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Among other charges, the couple was slapped with Indian Penal Code Sec. 124A that deals with sedition and is already under a heated legal debate.

In the order that was available on Friday, Special Judge Rokde has said: “It may be not that neither the applicants called anyone to bear arms nor any violence was incited in general as a result of the speech delivered by the applicants. In view of the matter, I am of the considered view that prima facie, decisive ingredients of section 124 A of the IPC are not made out at this stage.”

The Special Judge, however, also said that the Rana couple had undoubtedly crossed the line of freedom during their agitation, which they had subsequently called off in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai the following day.

“Undoubtedly, the applicants (Ranas) have crossed the lines of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution. However, mere expression of derogatory or objectionable words may not be a sufficient ground for invoking the provisions contained in section 124A of IPC,” he added.

Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said that the sedition charge was invoked by the police only after proper studying the case, and Transport Minister Anil Parab said that there’s a difference between “observations” and “verdict” and the MVA government would study the court order.

In a strong reaction, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, said: “The court has exposed the draconian and undemocratic policies and actions of this MVA Govt to shut the dissenting voices. Will the MVA government now apologise for wrongly confining the public representatives.”

Ravi Rana merely said: “We would not be saying anything on the order of the court.. We respect it,” and pointed out that the people have witnessed the manner in which a woman (his wife Nanveet Kaur-Rana) was allegedly mistreated by the state government.

Crime

Two arrested for raping minor after taking her on bike trip in MP’s Satna

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Satna : Two youths have been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh after taking her to a secluded area on the pretext of giving her a motorcycle ride, police said on Wednesday.

The incident was reported from the Nai Basti area under the Kolgawan police station limits. The police action followed a complaint lodged by the minor along with her family members.

According to the police, the minor had come in contact with one of the accused, Sanju alias Anshul Sahu (24), through Instagram on July 14. The two subsequently remained in contact through social media and phone calls.

Sahu, a native of Khamhariya in Rewa district, is currently residing in the Hanuman Dhara-Nai Basti area of Satna, police said. On August 17, Sahu allegedly reached the minor’s house along with his friend Sachin alias Vivek Rawat (19). Rawat is a native of Gangev in Rewa district and currently resides in the Hanuman Nagar-Nai Basti area.

The two allegedly took the minor on a motorcycle to Nai Basti, telling her that they were taking her for a ride. Police said Sahu allegedly sexually assaulted the minor at the location.

When she resisted, he allegedly intimidated and threatened her. The accused later dropped the girl back at her home.

“After returning home, the minor narrated the incident to her family members and approached the Kolgawan police station on Tuesday.

Based on her statement, a case was registered and both accused were arrested,” police said.

The police registered a case under Sections 74, 75(1), 64(2)(m), 65(i), 127(2), 351(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The investigation into the case is underway, and police are examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and the communication between the accused and the minor before the alleged offence.

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Crime

Rajasthan CMO gets bomb threat in Jaipur, police launch probe

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Jaipur, Aug 18: Panic gripped Jaipur after the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) received a bomb threat on Tuesday.

A threatening phone call was received at the Jaipur Police Control Room, prompting police and administrative officials to step up security measures.

Soon after receiving the information, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Rajarshi Raj, reached the spot and took stock of the situation.

Police teams have launched an investigation to identify the caller and determine the motive behind the threat.

Technical teams are also examining the call details and other available information to trace its origin.

Police officials are treating the threat seriously and are checking whether it poses any actual security risk.

Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.

This is not the first time that prominent locations in Jaipur have received bomb threats.

In July 2025, both the Chief Minister’s Office and Jaipur International Airport were reportedly threatened through emails.

Security agencies, including bomb disposal teams, conducted searches at the locations, but no explosives were found.

Jaipur has also witnessed several similar threats targeting schools, the airport, metro stations, court complexes and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

On May 30, 2025, a bomb threat was reported at Mansarovar Metro Station and the Metro Court-Family Court complex.

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium also received multiple bomb threats in May 2025.

Earlier in July 2025, Maheshwari Girls Public School in Vidhyadhar Nagar received a threatening email.

The school premises were evacuated and thoroughly searched by security teams. However, no explosive device was found.

The repeated threats have raised concerns over security in Jaipur, particularly as several high-profile government and public locations have been targeted in the past.

Police are now working to establish the identity of the person behind Tuesday’s call and determine whether the threat was genuine or a hoax.

Security agencies are maintaining heightened vigilance around the CMO and other sensitive locations in the city.

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Crime

SC seeks replies from Centre, intermediaries on plea against police sharing photos of accused on social media

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New Delhi, Aug 18: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre, sates and intermediaries to respond to a plea aimed at preventing police officials from uploading photos and videos of an accused on social media to safeguard the latter’s fundamental right to fair trial.

Taking note of the petitioner’ view that revealing identities of accused could prejudice their right to fair trial, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi and Justice V Mohana took note of a suggestion for having in place guidelines for use of social media by police organisations.

At the same time, CJI Surya Kant wondered how preventing police from sharing photos online could prevent the circulation of the content in the digital ecosystem.

“his is not a border that you can just close down,” CJI Kant said, agreeing with the need to prevent the uploading of content that reveals faces or identities of accused.

During the hearing, petitioner Hemendra Patel was represented by Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan who shared images and videos depicting accused in handcuffs or being made to kneel.

Stressing on the need for uniform guidelines at the national level, Sankaranarayanan said that there is a crying need for an operational mechanism to prevent police-generated content violating the rights of an accused, who is still to be proved guilty.

He added that similar issues have been examined in some High Courts earlier but there is scope for a uniform national framework to prevent police organisations from circulating photos and videos of the accused.

The petition, which made the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and social media platforms respondents in the matter, also sought a formal, transparent and structured mechanism for prompt removal of such content in case of an objection.

A reference was also made to a matter in Rajasthan High Court in January wherein the judges ordered a takedown of social media content related to an accused under arrest.

Following this case, the state police issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) curbing the practice of uploading or sharing of photos and videos of arrested persons on social media or with mediapersons.

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