Actress and BJP figure Kangana Ranaut’s legal situation has worsened concerning a defamation case, with the Supreme Court denying her any relief. As a result, Ranaut withdrew her plea seeking to dismiss the defamation case. This legal action arises from a 2021 tweet where she inaccurately linked a female participant in the farmers’ protests to Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh.
The court proceedings were overseen by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. Justice Mehta pointed out that the tweet was not merely a retweet; it involved additional commentary, thus necessitating a trial.
During the hearing of Ranaut’s defamation case, the Supreme Court stated that even though the tweet was a retweet from another source, it could not be dismissed. The court determined that a trial was required. Furthermore, the court made strong remarks, advising Ranaut not to comment on the tweets to avoid impacting the case negatively. Subsequently, the court inquired if Ranaut intended to withdraw the petition, leading to its withdrawal following the court’s observations.
Ranaut’s legal representative argued that the tweet was a retweet, while the original post originated from another source. The defense suggested the tweet was misunderstood and had been widely shared. The court was informed that the case had been initiated, summons were issued by a lower court, and the High Court offered no relief. They asserted that the original tweet was not from Kangana.
The Supreme Court began hearing a petition from Kangana Ranaut related to her disparaging remarks against a woman during the 2020-21 farmers’ protest. Ranaut had incorrectly identified the woman as Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh in her comments. The complaint was filed in 2021 by Mahinder Kaur, a 73-year-old resident of the Bathinda district. Kaur alleged that Ranaut had made false accusations in a retweet, claiming she was the same ‘dadi’ (Bilkis Bano) who participated in the Shaheen Bagh protests.