BENGALURU: The High Grounds police have registered an FIR against Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh on Wednesday for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by mocking a sacred Daiva tradition during a public event. The FIR was registered after a city-based advocate, Prashanth Methal, filed a private complaint before the 1st Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court.
According to the complainant, the incident occurred on November 28, 2025, during the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa. During the event, Ranveer Singh allegedly mocked the sacred Daiva tradition on stage by imitating the divine expressions of Panjurli Daiva. The actor is also accused of verbally referring to Daiva as a “female ghost”.
The complainant asserted that Daiva is not a ghost but a powerful guardian spirit symbolising justice, protection, and divine feminine energy, and holds deep religious and cultural significance in coastal Karnataka. Referring to the deity as a ghost was described as blasphemous and a serious insult to Hindu religious beliefs and practices.
The video of the performance went viral on social media, causing mental agony, anger, and resentment among devotees.
Based on the complaint, the High Grounds police have registered an FIR against Ranveer Singh under Sections 196 (promoting enmity, hatred, or disharmony between different groups based on religion, race, language, or caste), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), and 302 ( intentional wounding of religious feelings) of the BNS, and have taken up further investigation.