Defamation case: Bathinda court directs Kangana to appear in October
What's the story
A Bathinda court has rejected a petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and actor Kangana Ranaut, seeking exemption from personal appearance in a defamation case via video conferencing. The court has ordered Ranaut to appear physically on October 27. The summons will be served through the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). The case goes back to January 2021, when Ranaut allegedly defamed an elderly woman farmer on social media during the farmers' agitation.
Allegations
Who is the complainant?
The defamation complaint was filed by Mahinder Kaur (73), from the Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Bathinda. She alleged that Ranaut had defamed her in a social media post by wrongly identifying her as a Shaheen Bagh protester, Bilkis Bano. "She is the same daadi who featured in Time magazine for being the most powerful Indian....And she is available in ₹100," read Ranaut's tweet. Kaur filed the case on January 4, 2021, claiming her reputation was harmed by these remarks.
Legal proceedings
Ranaut's legal battle
In February 2022, the Bathinda court issued summons to Ranaut. She then approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court for relief, but her petition was dismissed. Later, she moved the Supreme Court, which also refused to intervene, upholding the lower court's order. Ranaut maintained that she had only reposted a lawyer's social media post without making any independent remarks. However, the Bathinda court found sufficient grounds to continue proceedings and rejected her plea for virtual appearance.
SC's comments
What SC said about the case earlier
Earlier this month, Supreme Court Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta commented on the case. The bench noted, "It was not a simple retweet. You have added spice...What this means is a subject matter of trial. Don't ask us to comment on what is written in the tweet. It may prejudice your trial." The judges noted that the Mandi MP had not merely shared the tweet but added her own comment.