Kangana Ranaut appears before Mumbai Police in case related to social media post on farmers

Actor Kangana Ranaut appeared before the Mumbai Police on Thursday, in connection with an FIR registered against her for a social media post that allegedly linked farmers’ protests to a separatist group, her lawyer said. Ranaut reached the Khar police station around 11 am. An FIR was registered there against her last month following a complaint by a Sikh organisation. Her lawyer Rizwan Sidiquee said she reached the police station to record her statement. The police earlier this month issued a notice to her for questioning. Her counsel had told the Bombay High Court that she would appear before the Khar police on 22 December. However, on Wednesday, her lawyer sought another date for appearance. The city police had earlier told the court that they would not arrest Ranaut till 25 January, 2022 over her social media post that allegedly linked farmers’ protests to a separatist group. The police had made the statement after the high court said the issue involved the larger question of Ranaut’s fundamental right to free speech and that the court would have to grant her some ad-interim relief. Ranaut had approached the high court, seeking that the FIR registered against her at Khar police station be quashed. The FIR was registered against Ranaut following a complaint made by some members of a Sikh body that claimed the actor, through her Instagram post, had portrayed the farmers’ protest on Delhi borders as a Khalistani movement. The police registered the case against Ranaut on charges of deliberately hurting the community’s religious sentiments, under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code.