Defamation Case: Punjab Court Directs Kangana Ranaut To Appear In Person On Oct 27

A local court in Punjab’s Bathinda has ordered actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut to appear in person on October 27 in connection with a defamation case filed against her during the 2020–21 farmers’ protest.

The court rejected her request to attend proceedings via video conference.

Case Background

The case stems from a tweet by Ranaut in which she allegedly misidentified Mahinder Kaur, a 73-year-old farmer from Bathinda, as Bilkis Bano, one of the faces of the Shaheen Bagh protests. Kaur accused Ranaut of making “false imputations” and defamatory remarks through the post.

Ranaut’s counsel had requested that she be allowed to participate in the hearing virtually, but the plea was dismissed after both sides were heard.

Advocate Raghubir Singh Beniwal, representing Kaur, argued strongly for her physical presence in court.

“We opposed Kangana Ranaut’s application because the law does not provide for an accused to be exempted from appearance at the initial stage of the case. We requested the court to ensure her presence, and in case of absence, to issue arrest warrants,” Beniwal said.

Earlier Proceedings

Ranaut had previously sought to quash the case before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, but her plea was rejected. She then moved the Supreme Court, which on September 12 observed that her post was “not a simple retweet” but one where she had “added spice.” Following the remark, Ranaut withdrew her petition.

With the Bathinda court now insisting on her personal appearance, Ranaut is expected to attend the proceedings on October 27.

The court has made it clear that exemptions will not be granted at this stage of the trial.

Read More: Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, States High Court, International