Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana's allegations about her arrest and "inhumane treatment" by the police in Mumbai on Tuesday prompted a rebuttal from the police chief of the city, but not before the Union Home Ministry sought a report from the Maharashtra government.
The independent MP from Amravati was arrested on Saturday along with her MLA-husband Ravi Rana for announcing that she would chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's private residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai to "awaken his Hindutva" despite police orders against doing so.
The couple, now in jail, later withdrew their call, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mumbai for an event.
The Home Ministry sought a "factual report" from the Maharashtra government on Ms Rana's allegation about her arrest and "inhuman treatment" at Mumbai's Khar police station, a Home Ministry official said.
The move came after the Lok Sabha Privilege and Ethics Committee asked the Home Ministry to seek a report from the Maharashtra government.
The lawmaker couple has been charged with sedition besides promoting enmity, and assaulting a public servant to prevent discharge of duty.
The Lok Sabha MP has demanded strict action against Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey and claimed the action against her and her husband was taken on directions of the Maharashtra Chief Minister.
The police chief, however, posted a video on Twitter, countering her charges of ill-treatment.
Reacting to the Police Commissioner's tweet, the couple's lawyer Rizwan Merchant said, "I just want to clarify that the tweet of Sanjay Pandey sir is in relation to the time that my client has spent at the Khar Police station after being arrested. The officers did offer her a cup of tea, but they were there at the police station till 1:00am in the morning.
"Approximately somewhere at 1:00am in the morning they were transferred to the lock up of Santa Cruz police station. They were detained for the rest of the night till they were produced in court. The complaint of my client of ill-treatment is in relation to the detention not at Khar Police Station but at the lock up of Santa Cruz police station."
Amplifying the couple's allegation at a press conference, Devendra Fadnavis, leader of Opposition in the state, alleged that the woman was not even allowed to visit the washroom.
"They arrested her illegally, they charged her under different sections, but we have just received news that she was mistreated in police custody. She was told she belongs to a different caste and misbehaved with. She was not even given water to drink. A woman MP was not even allowed to go to the washroom. We have never seen action being taken like this in Maharashtra with an intention of revenge,"said Mr Fadnavis.
Counter attacking, the Shiv Sena accused the BJP of targeting the police force.
"Sh. Devendra Fadnavis should apologise to Mumbai Police for his tirade against the most disciplined police force of India. The desperation is so obvious in his accusations against our police& also undermines the tremendous service they provide to keep the city safe," Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted.
Meanwhile, a sessions court in Mumbai on Tuesday asked the police to file their reply to a bail application of Ms Rana and her husband by Friday.
When the case came up for hearing in the court on Tuesday, the police said they want to respond with an affidavit to the bail plea. The court accepted this and posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.
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