Kangana Ranaut, the actress and BJP leader, has encountered legal difficulties in a defamation case, as the Supreme Court did not provide any relief. Consequently, Ranaut withdrew her petition that sought to dismiss the defamation case. The case is related to a 2021 tweet in which she wrongly equated a woman involved in the farmers’ protest with Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh.
The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta presided over the hearing. Justice Mehta observed that the tweet involved more than just a retweet, as it included added elements, thereby necessitating a trial.
During the hearing of Ranaut’s defamation case, the Supreme Court acknowledged that, despite the tweet being a retweet from someone else, the case could not be dismissed. The court indicated that a trial was required. The court also issued strong remarks, discouraging any commentary on the tweets to prevent potential adverse effects on the case. Ranaut’s legal representative was then asked if she would withdraw the petition, which led to the petition’s withdrawal following the court’s statements.
Ranaut’s legal counsel argued that the tweet was a retweet of another person’s post. The defense contended that the tweet had been misinterpreted and was widely retweeted. The lawyer informed the court that a case had been filed, a lower court had issued summons, and the High Court had denied relief. The original tweet, they stated, was not authored by Kangana.
The Supreme Court initiated a hearing concerning Kangana Ranaut’s petition. This petition related to her disparaging remarks about a woman during the 2020-21 farmers’ protest. She had falsely identified the woman as Bilkis Bano from Shaheen Bagh in her comments. The complaint was lodged in 2021 by 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur from the Bathinda district. Kaur alleged that Ranaut had made false accusations against her in a retweet, claiming she was the same woman (Bilkis Bano) who participated in the Shaheen Bagh demonstrations.