Kangana Ranaut, sister Rangoli move Bombay HC for quashing of FIR in sedition case

Acting on a complaint lodged by casting director Munawarali aka Sahil Sayyed, metropolitan magistrate Jaydeo Ghule issued the order, directing Bandra police to initiate criminal action against Kangana and her sister Rangoli, on the basis of the complaint. The FIR is registered on the basis of a magisterial order of October 16, 2020.

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel on Monday moved the Bombay high court challenging an October 16 order of a magistrate’s court at Bandra, on the basis of which they have been booked by Bandra police for sedition for allegedly creating hatred between Hindus and Muslims, especially those engaged in Bollywood.

The magistrate said on perusal of the complaint and after hearing the advocate of the complainant, prima facie the accused - Kangana and her sister- appeared to have committed cognisable offences.(PTI PHOTO.)

Bandra police on October 17, 2020, had booked the sisters under Sections 124(A) (sedition - to bring or attempt to bring into hatred or contempt, or excite or attempt to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise), 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class, by insulting it’s religion or religious beliefs) along with Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR is registered on the basis of a magisterial order of October 16, 2020.

Acting on a complaint lodged by casting director Munawarali aka Sahil Sayyed, metropolitan magistrate Jaydeo Ghule issued the order, directing Bandra police to initiate criminal action against Kangana and her sister Rangoli, on the basis of the complaint.

The magistrate said on perusal of the complaint and after hearing the advocate of the complainant, prima facie the accused - Kangana and her sister- appeared to have committed cognisable offences.

The magistrate directed Bandra police to take appropriate action under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as he felt that thorough investigation and search and seizure was necessary to be conducted in the matter.

Sayyed in his complaint to the magistrate’s court had alleged that since the last couple of months Kangana has, through her tweets and television interviews, continuously defamed Hindi film industry by portraying the people in Bollywood as a hub of nepotism, favouritism, drug addicts, communally biased and murderers etc.

Sayyed has further alleged that this has “even created a bad image of Bollywood in the minds of people and even leading to a communal divide and rift between people of two communities.” His complaint added that Kangana has been “maliciously bringing religion into all her tweets.”

The casting director has also alleged that Kangana’s sister Rangoli, who works as manager of the actress, has also tweeted highly objectionable messages, intended to create communal rift.

He has quoted a tweet of Chandel which read: “Make the Mullas and secular media stand in line and shoot them, F**k history may call us Nazis, who cares,” and alleged that the tweet was not only objectionable, but also hurt the feelings of the entire Muslim community.

It added that he had lodged a written complaint to the senior inspector of police at Bandra police station, but he did not take cognisance of his complaint. Similar was the fate of the representations made to higher-ups in the police department, compelling the casting director to approach the magistrate’s court.