In a setback for BJP’s Mandi MP and actor Kangana Ranaut, a special MP-MLA court in Bathinda has rejected her plea seeking exemption from personal appearance in an ongoing defamation case filed by a Punjab-based elderly farmer.
The court directed Ranaut to appear in person on January 15, unless she secures a specific judicial exemption. It also clarified that arguments on her application for permanent exemption from personal appearance will be heard on the same day.
The defamation case dates back to January 2021 and was filed by Mahinder Kaur, a resident of Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Bathinda district. The complaint arises from social media posts made by Ranaut during the 2020–21 farmers’ agitation, which the complainant alleged were defamatory.
Ranaut failed to appear before the court on Monday, citing official duties and pre-scheduled commitments in Mumbai. However, her repeated requests for exemption were opposed by the complainant’s counsel, who accused her of deliberately avoiding the legal process and urged the court to issue non-bailable warrants.
The prosecution pointed out that Ranaut had sought exemption for the fourth consecutive hearing, despite the winter session of Parliament having concluded. Prosecutor Raghbir Singh Behniwal argued that continuing to seek exemption after the end of the session amounted to a misuse of legal provisions.
Mahinder Kaur filed the complaint under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, alleging that Ranaut had shared her photograph on social media during the farmers’ protest along with remarks that harmed her reputation.
