The Bandra Magistrate Court in Mumbai on Saturday directed the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against actor Kangana Ranaut and sister Rangoli Chandel for allegedly inciting communal hatred through tweets and interviews.
Mumbai Mirror reported that the magistrate passed the order on a complaint filed through advocate Ravish Zamindar that sought action over the actor’s tweets on the Sushant Singh Rajput case, the Palghar lynching of sadhus, and comparing Mumbai city to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
The complainant said the sisters should be charged under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.
The complainant, casting director and fitness trainer Munnawar Ali Sayyed, sought action against Ranaut for defaming the Hindi film industry as a hub of nepotism, favouritism, and for portraying people working there as drug addicts, communally biased people and murderers through her social media handles and television interviews.
He says that an investigation is required to ascertain “the real motive behind such hate tweets and who are the people backing such hatred to create communal tensions and sentiments against the government.”
“Prima facie on perusal of the complaint and submissions I found a cognisable offence has been committed by the accused. Total allegations are based upon comment on electronic media – Twitter and interviews. The accused used social media like Twitter. The thorough investigation is necessary by the expert…search and seizure is necessary in this case,” the court order stated.
The complaint further stated that the actor attacked the state government and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey to create “disaffection amongst common people against Maharashtra government.”
The complaint also talks about how Rangoli Chandel’s Twitter account was removed after posting hate-filled tweets.
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On October 14, the Karnataka Police filed an FIR against the Queen actor for her tweet against farmers protesting the agriculture Bills reforms which are meant to accelerate growth in agriculture through private investment. Her tweet read, “People who spread misinformation and rumours about CAA [Citizenship Amendment Act] act that caused riots are the same people who are now spreading misinformation about Farmers bill and causing terror in the nation, they are terrorists,” she had said.
The Bill were passed by the Rajya Sabha despite heavy opposition from across the country, in support of small farmers.
The FIR against Ranaut was filed under Sections 44 (injury), 108 (abettor), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code.