Will come: Kangana Ranaut after being summoned in sedition case
In what sets the tone for another face-off between Kangana Ranaut and Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, the actor and her sister, Rangoli Chandel, have been summoned by police in connection to an FIR registered against them. The sisters were booked for promoting hatred on orders of Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate after a Bollywood casting director and fitness trainer filed a complaint.
Petitioner was upset with Kangana's controversial statements against Bollywood
The petitioner, Munawwar Ali Sayyed, said he has worked with Bollywood and witnessed how Kangana "is continuously defaming Bollywood film industry and is portraying people working in Bollywood films as a hub of nepotism, favoritism, drug addicts, communally-biased, murderers, etc." Besides defaming Bollywood, she also attempted to create a communal divide, he claimed in the complaint, which also found takers in a local court.
Her statement during demolition episode was mentioned
Munawwar mentioned Kangana's statement on Palghar lynching, the fact that she equated Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and called BMC officials "Babur ki Sena" when "illegal" parts of her office were being demolished, in the complaint. He also accused her of dividing artists on the basis of religion. Subsequently, an FIR was registered on October 17, Saturday, at a police station in Bandra.
Saying thorough probe is needed, magistrate ordered FIR
Earlier, Magistrate Jaydeo Y Ghule had said, "Prima facie on perusal of the complaint and submissions, I found a cognizable offense has been committed by the accused." IPC Sections 124 A (sedition), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), and 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts) were evoked in the FIR.
Kangana asked to be present on October 26
As a part of the probe, Bandra Police served a notice to Kangana and Rangoli; sent copies through registered post, on WhatsApp, and also to the actor's office. DCP Abhishek Trimukhe said, "Kangana has been asked to present herself before police on October 26, while Rangoli has been called on October 27." Kangana is currently in her home state Himachal Pradesh.
Complainant will have to furnish damning evidence: Kangana's lawyer
Reacting to the notice, Kangana's lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui said, "There is a burden of proof on the complainant to show how the post spread communal hatred or who was affected by it. It cannot apply only by looking at the statement."
As expected, Kangana also took potshots at Sena government
Not being the one to take something lying down, Kangana wrote a tweet after being summoned. "Obsessed penguin Sena ... Pappupro of Maharashtra, bahut yaad aati hai k-k-k-k-k-Kangana, koi baat nahin jaldi aa jaungi," she tweeted. Terms like "penguin" and "pappu" are hurled by BJP's supporters toward Sena. Earlier, an FIR was also registered against Kangana in Karnataka for controversial statements on farmers' protests.
