Hanuman Chalisa row: Sanjay Raut alleges D-gang link to Rana couple

MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana. Pic/Satej Shinde

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut has alleged an underworld conspiracy behind the recent political developments, that he said were being engineered to create 1992-like communal strife. He accused independent MP Navneet Rana, who has been arrested on sedition and other charges after threatening Hanuman Chalisa recital in front of the chief minister's Kalanagar house, of having received Rs 80 lakh in the past from Yusuf Lakdawala, a builder and alleged financier of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, who was investigated for money laundering.

Bhonge, Hanuman Chalisa recital and other incidents are an attempt to create communal tension and riots like those that took place in Mumbai in 1992. It is a conspiracy funded by the D-gang (Dawood Ibrahim)," he said on Wednesday.

Raut said while Lakdawala (who died in jail last year) was probed by the Economic Offences Wing of the police, Navneet Rana was spared. "The transaction needs to be probed. I have given all evidence pertaining to this transaction and many other deals to the CM. I will also write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about it," said the Rajya Sabha MP.

Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena spokesperson

Raut said the Enforcement Directorate should also act on this tip, because people like him and Nawab Malik were probed for transactions of a few lakh rupees. "Why are Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP not speaking about this?" he asked.

Rana files plaint against Raut

Rana had lodged a complaint against Raut in Delhi and Nagpur, accusing the Sena leader of making remarks on her social status of scheduled caste. She has asked for filing charges under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, said an agency report on Wednesday.

The Ranas after their arrest. Pic/Shadab Khan

In her complaint, she has referred to a press conference in Nagpur where Raut had called her and her MLA husband Ravi Rana (who is also under arrest) ‘Bunty Aur Babli' (con characters in a Hindi film) and ‘420' (cheater). Without mentioning the politician couple, Raut had warned, "Don't mess with the Shiv Sena and Matoshree (private residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai), or else you'll be buried 20 ft deep." Rana also highlighted Raut's statement in which he said that if anyone tried to challenge Matoshree, "they should keep materials for their last rites ready".

(Inputs from Agencies)