Adding a new dimension to the ongoing face-off between the Rana couple and the Shiv Sena-led MVA Government over the recitation of “Hanuman Chalisa”, Sena MP Sanjay Raut has sought to link Amravati MP Navneet Rana by alleging that she had taken a loan of Rs 80 lakh from Yusuf Lakdawala who had been arrested a couple of years back in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving Karach-based don Dawood Ibrahim.
In a tweet put late on Tuesday, Raut had said: “Navneet Rana recvd a LOAN of Rs 80 lacs frm Yusuf Lakdawala who died in Jail rcntly. The same Lakdawala was arrested by @dir_ed in a money laundering case & his links with D gang. My question is- Has ED investigated the matter? This is a question of national security! @PMOIndia”.
Along with his tweet, Raut had posted a purported extract of Navneet Kaur-Rana’s 2019 election affidavit which mentions the loan amount due to (the late) Lakdawala.
Lakdawala, from whom Navneet had borrowed Rs 80 lakh, died while in custody at the Arthur Road Central Jail in September 2021.
Talking to media persons here on Wednesday, Raut wondered: “Why has the ED not yet investigated this? This is just one matter that has come to light, there may be other such irregularities that will be exposed in the probe…”.
Raut also wondered whether there was an “underworld connection” to the ongoing over the recitation of “Hanuman Chalisa, as it (a link) was found during the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.In another tweet put out on the alleged Navneet-Lakdawala link, Raut said on Wednesday: “Underworld connection: Lakdawala was arrested by the ED in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case and he died in the lock-up. Yusuf’s illegal money is now in Rana’s account. When will ED serve tea to Rana? Why is the D-Gang being saved? Why is the BJP quiet?” .
Hinting at a probe into the alleged link between Navneet Rana and late Lakdawala, Minister of State for Home Shambhuraj Desai said that the police would look into the matter and in case a complaint is registered, they would investigate the alleged link further.
The Rana couple were arrested on Sunday evening for offences registered initially against them under sections 153A (causing enmity between different groups), 34 (common intention) and later under section 124A (sedition) of IPC for for challenging the government machinery and making remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in a controversy arising out of their threat to recite “Hanuman Chalisa” in front of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Bandra residence. They were also booked under provisions of the Bombay Police Act for causing a law and order situation in the city.
Navneet and Ravi Rana were remanded by a holiday court in Judicial custody for 14 days. The Rana couple subsequently moved the city court seeking bail and the court scheduled the hearing of the case for April 29.
On Tuesday, the Rana couple filed a fresh bail application before the Mumbai City Civil & Sessions Court which asked the Prosecution to file its reply by April 29 and posted Ranas’ bail plea for hearing on April 29.