Kangana Ranaut Moves High Court Against Punjab Court's Summons In Defamation Case Over 'Shaheen Bagh Dadi' Tweet

The complaint was filed in January 2021 wherein Kaur had alleged that the actor, during farmers protest, had made defamatory tweet by comparing Kaur with "Dadi" at Shaheen Bagh. In the alleged tweet, Ranaut claimed that such protestors could be hired.

Kaur, alleging that Ranaut false imputations against her in the alleged tweet, had preferred a complaint before the Magistrate Court, Bathinda, seeking initiation of criminal proceedings under Section 499/500 for defamation. On February 22, 2022, the Magistrate Court summoned the actor.

Ranaut's plea for quashing of the proceedings was heard in part by a bench comprising Justice Meenakshi I Mehta on Friday and has been adjourned for Monday. Notice is yet to be issued.

Advocate Abhinav Sood appeared for the actor.

Ranaut's plea states that the the actor, without any intention to cause malicious imputation to the complaint, had just re-tweeted the alleged tweet which was originally posted by a Twitter user namely Adhivakta Gautam Yadav. In this regard, it is also submitted that a bare perusal of the re-tweet shows that none of the alleged remarks were against Kaur.

The petition further stated that despite clearing the misconception, the actor was stopped last year by protesting farmers in Punjab's Ropar district, demanding an apology for her alleged remarks on the farmers who had been protesting against the central Agriculture laws last year. The actor had alleged she was "attacked" by a mob, who "abused" and "threatened to kill her" while she was on her way to her native place "Kullu".

"Contents of alleged complaint clearly show the fact that the Petitioner is a victim of a political vendetta hatched by some motivated beneficiaries with an anti-BJP agenda during the farmers protests. The Respondent/Complainant is being used as a tool only to harass the Petitioner and to gain their hidden motives," the plea states.

The actor in the petition has further stated that the complainant's case is completely false and patently absurd. It has also been argued argued that the Magistrate has gravely erred and has and in a very cryptic and mechanical manner observed that the defences provided under section 499 IPC cannot be looked at the stage of issuing summon to the accused as u/s 202, CrPC the scope of the inquiry limited.

Case Title: Kangana Ranaut v Mahinder Kaur