High court upholds summons to Kangana Rananut in ‘Rs 100' tweet defamation case
Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya, in a detailed 15-page order, said, "There are specific allegations against the petitioner who is a celebrity, that false and defamatory imputations by her in the retweet have dented the respondent's (Mahender Kaur) reputation and lowered her in her own estimation, as also in the eyes of others. Therefore, filing of the complaint to vindicate her rights cannot be termed mala fide."
Ranaut is accused of defaming 73-year-old Mohinder Kaur, a farmer activist, through a tweet during the height of the farmers' protests against the now scrapped farm laws in 2020.
Ranaut allegedly misidentified Kaur as Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh fame and implied that such women could be hired to participate in protests for Rs 100.
"Such remark, prima facie proves that the intent of the accused was to paint the complainant as a person of dubious integrity who is protesting without any cause and just for financial gains," the high court observed.
Ranaut's counsel had contended that the trial court misconstrued provisions of Section 202 of CrPC and argued that she had only re-tweeted content by 'Adhivakta Gautam Yadav', who was not arrayed as an accused.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
She grew up to be America's sweetheart... can YOU guess?
womensportsonline.com
Watch More
Undo
The counsel pleaded that the retweet was made in good faith, without intent to harm Kaur's reputation, and in the absence of mens rea, the magistrate should not have proceeded. The order was passed on Feb 22, 2022.
Senior advocate G K Mann, representing the complainant, argued that there was no dispute that Ranaut herself made the defamatory on the face of it retweet, which contains serious allegations against Kaur's character.
Mann also said that Ranaut had shown no remorse or tendered any apology, suggesting intentional harm.
The bench concluded that the summoning order was passed after due application of mind to the facts and preliminary evidence. The court also noted that it was not the petitioner's case that the retweet was not made by her.
Regarding the complaint being filed solely against Ranaut, the judge observed, "Still further, because the respondent has filed a complaint only against the petitioner and not against the person to whom the original tweet has been attributed, in itself cannot be a ground to contend that the complaint is mala fide."
'Extra responsibility' on celebrities
"As she (Kangana) holds a position of influence over the masses, she has extra responsibility on her shoulders to verify the truthfulness of the remarks made by her. It is evident from the evidence led by the complainant that the accused (Kangana) made the impugned defamatory remark without going into the truthfulness... She even failed to tender any apology to the complainant after knowing the truth."
Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya
Complaint was filed in 2021
The defamation complaint was filed on Jan 4, 2021, by Mohinder Kaur of Fatehgarh Jandia village in Bathinda. Kaur initiated the case in Bathinda court against Ranaut for her tweet (which was later deleted) that identified Kaur as Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh fame and claimed such women could be hired for protests for Rs 100. Kaur had provided evidence asserting that Ranaut's words had damaged her image. The farmer stated that her family, owning 12 acres of land, found the accusation of protesting for a mere Rs 100 intolerable.
MSID:: 123044276 413 |
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Fake two-wheeler spare parts and engine oil racket busted in Delhi, 5 arrested
The Delhi Police Crime Branch Saturday claimed to have arrested five people allegedly involved in the manufacturing and selling of fake two-wheeler spare parts and engine oil in North West and Central Delhi. Harsh Indora, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said the police seized a large quantity of fake automobile spare parts and engine oils worth approximately Rs 10 lakh, preventing their circulation in the market. He said The police received specific intelligence regarding the manufacture and sale of counterfeit products, including two-wheeler spare parts and engine oil, bearing the trademarks of reputed companies such as Honda Motorcycle, ASK, and TVS Motors. 'Acting on the directions of senior officers, the information was further developed, and contact was established with the authorised legal representatives of the companies. On July 15, a dedicated team led by Inspector Ajay Gahlawat under the close supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashok Sharma was constituted,' Indora said. He said the police conducted a raid at the Madanpur Dabas village in North West Delhi, and recovered a significant quantity of counterfeit two-wheeler engine oils, empty bottles, and packing materials bearing the branding of Honda and TVS Automobiles. Subsequently, on July 25, following further leads provided by the authorised legal representatives of Honda Motorcycle, ASK, and TVS Motors, the police undertook another raid at a shop in Nai Wala Market in Karol Bagh and Madanpur Dabas. This operation led to the recovery of a substantial stock of counterfeit two-wheeler spare parts and packaging materials of Honda and ASK, said the police. The police said during interrogation, an accused, Shubham Panjiyar, 29, of Uttam Nagar in West Delhi, confessed to being involved in the sale and purchase of counterfeit vehicle spare parts since 2020. He also disclosed his prior involvement in a similar case registered at Nihal Vihar area under the Copyright Act, said the police, adding that her revealed the names of co-accused: Shubham Panjiyar, Himanshu Kawatra, Naveen alias Deepak Taneja, Ramakant Chaurasia and Shyam Narain. The police said further investigation is underway to identify the broader network behind this illegal activity. These coordinated operations have dealt a significant blow to the illegal counterfeit trade and reaffirmed the Delhi Police Crime Branch's commitment to safeguarding consumer rights and brand integrity, the DCP said.
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Watch: Hilarious! Ravindra Jadeja asks England spectator to change t-shirt during IND vs ENG 5th Test
Ravindra Jadeja ask England crowd to change t-shirt (Screengrab/AP) Cricket fans at The Oval witnessed a lighthearted moment on Day 3 of the fifth and final Test between India and England when Ravindra Jadeja politely asked a spectator to change his t-shirt mid-match. The moment unfolded while Jadeja was batting, only to be distracted by a fan seated behind the bowler's arm wearing a bright red t-shirt. The colour seemed to interfere with Jadeja's sightline, a common issue for players when trying to focus on the ball coming out of the bowler's hand. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Rather than create a scene, Jadeja simply informed the on-field umpire about the problem. After security personnel and match officials approached the individual, he eventually agreed to change his t-shirt. Instead of moving, the spectator gamely switched into a grey t-shirt right then and there, drawing cheers from the crowd. Watch: Jadeja gave him a thumbs-up and a grin, diffusing the situation with trademark charm. The incident, caught on camera, quickly went viral, with social media hailing it as yet another reason to love Jadeja's on-field personality. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo On the cricketing front, India finished Day 3 in a dominant position. Yashasvi Jaiswal starred with a composed 118, while Akash Deep impressed with a maiden Test fifty, scoring 66 and adding crucial lower-order runs. Washington Sundar provided a late-innings blitz, including three sixes in five balls, propelling India to a second-innings total of 396. England's response began steadily, with Crawley and Duckett putting up a 50-run stand. But Mohammed Siraj broke through on the final ball of the day, clean bowling Crawley for 14 with a deadly yorker. At stumps, England were 50/1, needing another 324 runs for victory with two days to go—an uphill battle against a confident Indian side. But amidst the serious contest, Jadeja's fan interaction was a timely reminder of the joy cricket can bring. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
Woman Kills Husband With Lover, Dumps Body In Drain; Cops Crack Case After A Year
Last Updated: During the investigation, officials tracked a mobile number registered to Pritam, which had recently become active after nearly a year. Delhi Police has arrested a woman and her boyfriend for allegedly plotting and executing the murder of her husband and dumping his body in a drain in Haryana's Sonipat, an official said on Saturday. The arrested accused have been identified as Soniya (34), a resident of Alipur in Delhi, and her 28-year-old boyfriend Rohit, who hails from Sonipat, the official said, adding that another accused in the case, Vijay, is on the run. The murder was committed over the affair, as well as the victim's abusive and criminal behaviour, he added. Speaking about the case, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Harsh Indora said that there were more than 10 cases registered against the victim, Pritam Prakash, 42. He had also been declared a proclaimed offender by the court. 'He had more than 10 cases registered against him, including those under the Arms Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and under various sections of the Indian Penal Code," said the police. On July 5, 2024, Pritam went to Soniya's sister's home in Gannaur, Sonipat, to pick her up but left following an argument. That same day, Soniya allegedly offered Rs 50,000 to her sister's brother-in-law, Vijay, to kill her husband. Later, when Pritam returned and pleaded with her, she allowed him to stay at the house. 15 days later on July 20, Sonia filed a missing person complaint with Alipur Police, claiming that her husband had gone out and never returned. The police suspected a foul play when they didn't find any financial or digital footprints of the victim for several weeks. During the investigation, officials tracked a mobile number registered to Pritam, which had recently become active after nearly a year. Surveillance efforts traced the phone's usage to Sonipat, eventually pointing to Rohit. When questioned, Rohit initially tried to mislead the investigators but later confessed to the crime, according to the police. He also said that he was in a relationship with Sonia and the dup conspired and killed Pritam. He admitted that Soniya allegedly paid Vijay to kill her husband. A body was also found by Haryana Police around the same time, however, they were unable to identify it. The case remained unsolved until the Delhi Police connected the dots nearly a year later. According to police, Soniya later sold Pritam's auto rickshaw for Rs 4.5 lakh and handed over his mobile phone to Rohit. DNA samples collected during the Haryana post-mortem will now be used to definitively identify the body. Soniya was around 15 years old when she fell in love with Pritam and married him against their families' wishes. The marriage was never officially reported to the police, but the families eventually accepted the couple. They had three children together, including a 16-year-old son and two daughters, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) said. According to the DCP, Rohit was previously involved in four criminal cases related to murder and arms possession. The police are currently searching for Vijay, the third accused. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
