Actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel will not be arrested for at least next one month as Bombay High Court has granted the sisters interim protection in sedition case.
The high court has also directed Kangana and Rangoli to appear before Mumbai Police on January 8. The HC said they must respond to summons while questioning sedition charges levelled against them.
“We are of the prima facie opinion that interim protection till the matter is heard at length deserves to be granted. The police shall not take any coercive action including arrest against the applicants (Ranaut and Chandel),” the court said.
The judge refused to recognize Kangana and sister’s argument that they were busy with their brother’s wedding festivities for last month.
We could not come because a wedding was on. That is why she has sent the statements,” argued their lawyer.
Rubbishing their argument, the judge replied: “Whatever it is, you have to honour the summons.”
It is noteworthy that Kangana Ranaut and her sister have skipped three summons from Mumbai Police. Earlier, they had failed to appear on October 26 and 27, citing that they are engrossed in their family functions. Later, they were called on November 9 to 10, but again cited the same reasons after which the police had asked them to come yesterday and today.
The FIR against Kangana and her sister was registered by Munawwar Ali saying the sisters are “trying to create hatred and communal tension” through their social media posts.
Meanwhile, the court has asked sedition charges against the actor. “Why is the sedition section invoked? Why are we treating citizens of our country like this?” Justice SS Shinde said.
As of now, the court has adjourned the further hearing till January 11.
Kanagana Ranaut’s feud with Mumbai police has been in news for quite some time now. The face off first started when she blatantly criticised Mumbai Police and Maharashtra government over the investigation of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. The spat became uglier when she later compared Maharashtra to Pakistan occupied Kashmir.