The Supreme Court on Friday, September 12, declined to entertain a petition filed by actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut seeking dismissal of a defamation case against her. The case stems from a controversial tweet she posted in 2021 about a woman participant in the farmers’ protest. The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, told Ranaut, “You added spice. It was not a simple retweet,” indicating that the matter warranted trial.
The complaint was filed by 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur from Bathinda, Punjab, who alleged that Ranaut defamed her by misidentifying her as “Shaheen Bagh dadi Bilkis,” a prominent figure in the 2019 anti-CAA protests in Delhi. Ranaut’s tweet had also implied that women like Kaur could be hired to protest for Rs 100, which Kaur said tarnished her reputation.
During the hearing, Ranaut’s lawyer argued that she merely retweeted someone else’s post and that the original poster had not been summoned. The court, however, maintained that Ranaut’s actions went beyond a simple retweet and emphasized that the content and implications of the tweet would be examined during trial, refusing to make further comments to avoid prejudicing the proceedings.
