Kangana Ranaut remarks on protesting farmer:HC refuses to stay proceedings

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the proceedings initiated against actress Kangana Ranaut by a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Tumkur, which had on October 9, 2020, directed the jurisdictional Police Station (Kyathasandra) to register FIR against her for her tweet on farmers opposing the agri laws.

Ranaut had moved the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash an First Information Report registered against her. Justice HP Sandesh granted one week time to the petitioner to comply with office objection and posted the matter for further hearing on March 18.

Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee appearing for Ranaut sought for a stay on the proceedings initiated. To which the court said, “First you comply with the office objection then only we can consider your submissions.”

The complaint was filed by advocate Ramesh Naik L under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure alleging that Ranaut has posted a message from her Twitter account ‘@KanganaTeam’ on 21st September 2020 saying: “People who spread misinformation and rumours about CAA that caused riots are the same people who are now spreading misinformation about Farmers bill and causing terror in the nation, they are Terrorists. You very well know what I said but simply like to spread misinformation”.

The plea alleged that the above content posted by the accused in her Twitter account has a clear intention to injure the people who are opposing the Central laws, wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riots and promote the culture of non-violence in the young minds of society.