Kangana Ranaut Gets Relief In “Shaheen Bagh Dadi” Tweet Case From Punjab & Haryana High Court
(Syed Ali Anjum Sadiq)
Bollywood Actress kangana Ranuat has got a big relief from Punjab & Haryana High Court on Monday in a defamation case registered against her during the farmer’s agitation.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court directed the trial court to adjourn criminal proceedings initiated against Bollywod Actress over her “Shaheen bagh Dadi” Tweet, beyond September 8, 2022.
In her tweet Kangana had described an elderly women involved in the farmers’ movement.After this elderly women Mahinder Kaur filed a defamation case against Kangana. In this case, Kangana was to appear in Bathinda Court through SSP Bathinda on July,14, buth the High Court, while hearing Kangana’s petition, has directed that the lower court should not summon her till September 8, because now this matter is in the High Court is under consideration for hearing.
Justice Meenakshi I Mehta issued notice on Kangana’s plea challenging the case filed by Mahinder Kaur.
Appearing for the Actress, Advocate Abhinav Sood and Advocate Anmool Gupta argued that the trial court has mis-construed the provisions as contained in Section 202Cr.P.C. They also submitted that the actress, without any intention to cause malicious imputation to the complainant, had just re-tweeted by the twitter user namely Adhivakta Gautam yadav.However Yadav has not been arrayedas an accused in the complaint case.
They further contended that bare perusal of the re-tweet shows that none of the alleged remarks were against Kaur.
The Petition further stated that despite clearing misconception, regarding alleged tweet the Petitioner being a celebrity had fallen prey to a group of people with ill motives The petitioner consequently even proceeded to delete the said re-tweet.
To the utter shock and surprise of the Petitioner on 4 December 2020 when the Petitioner was on her way to Chandigarh airport from her native place in Kullu Himachal Pradesh a mob of Protesting farmers stopped the vehicle of the Petitioner at Ropar district Punjab for two hours it is submitted that in this regard the Petitioner had posted video message on her lnstagram account wherein it was mentioned by the Petitioner
That she was attacked by a mob who abused and threatened to kill her it is submitted that the said video of the Petitioner was circulated widely on social media platforms wherein she was seen interacting with the protesting women and has even clarified that the alleged tweet was not against the woman farmer but against the protesters at Shaheen Bagh Thus the Petitioner has categorically clarified the misconception about the alleged retweet even by way of above mentioned video and therefore the continuation of the impugned proceedings emanating against the Petitioner.
Kangan’s lawyers argued that the actress had also apologized to the elderly women Mahider Kaur. Despite this, a case was registered against her.The High Court, has said that till the matter is not heard, the trial court will have to wait. The court should not summon Kangana til 8th September.
It was further stated that the magistrate had gravely erred and ahd in a very cryptic manner and mechanical manner observed that the defenses provided under section 499 IPC cannot be looked at the stage of issuing summons to the accused as u/s 202; cr.pcthe scope of inquiry is limited [Read Order]
