SC declines to quash defamation case against Kangana Ranaut

New Delhi, Sep 12: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea filed by actor and Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut seeking to quash a defamation case linked to her 2021 tweet about an elderly woman protester at the farmers’ agitation, Bar and Bench reported.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that Ranaut’s remarks could not be brushed aside in a quashing petition. “You added spice. It was not a simple retweet

. The interpretation of this tweet can’t be considered in a quashing petition. Your clarification is for the trial court, not here,” the Bench said, according to the report.  Ranaut’s counsel argued that the post was directed at Bilkis Bano, the Shaheen Bagh protester, and not at the complainant, Mahinder Kaur.

The lawyer also submitted that Ranaut had issued a clarification, but the Court declined to comment on the tweet’s contents. “Don’t ask us to comment on your tweet. It may prejudice your trial. You withdraw this. You want to withdraw?” the Bench remarked. Following this, Ranaut’s counsel withdrew the petition. The defamation case before a Bathinda court stems from Ranaut’s social media post alleging that Kaur was paid to participate in the protests. In February 2022, a magistrate summoned her under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC. Her challenge to the summons was dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August 2024, which held that a prima facie case of defamation existed, reports Bar & Bench.