NEW DELHI: Bollywood Actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut on Friday withdrew from the Supreme Court her appeal challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court's rejection to quash a complaint against her for allegedly making defamatory remarks in connection with the 2020-21 farmers' protests.
The matter came up for hearing beforea bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. After the bench showed their disinclination to entertain Ranaut’s plea, forcing her to withdraw it.
The actor-turned-politician has moved the top court, after the Punjab and Haryana HC, in its August 1 order, dismissed Ranaut’s plea for quashing the defamation complaint which stemmed from her retweet comprising her own comment about a woman protestor during the 2020-21 farmer protests against the now-repealed farm laws.
Complainant Mahinder Kaur (73), who hails from Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjab’s Bathinda district in 2021, had filed the complaint in Bathinda in January 2021.
Her complaint in a Bathinda court claimed the actor made "false imputations and remarks" against her in a retweet by saying she was the same "dadi" who was part of the Shaheen Bagh protest.
Kaur further claimed that she filed the complaint against Ranaut under Sections 499 and 500 (Defamation) of the now-repealed Indian Penal Code (IPC) arose from a retweet by the actor.
The Bollywood actor has also moved the apex court challenging the summoning order issued by a Bathinda magistrate court on February 22, 2022.
Kangana’s counsel had argued in the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the summoning order of the Bathinda court was not sustainable, being violative of the Criminal Procedure Code.
During the course of the hearing on Friday, the court asked her, "What about your comments? It was not a simple retweet. You have added your own comments. You have added spice."
Replying to the court's question, her lawyer told the top court that the petitioner (Ranaut) has clarified her comments.
But the court was not satisfied with Ranaut's answer, and told her that the clarification could be given before the trial court.
Kankana's advocate then informewd the court that she couldn't travel to Punjab to attend the trial court proceedings there.
The bench then clarfied that Ranaut can seek an exemption from personal appearance there.