An Andheri magistrate court has called for an inquiry report from the police on a video posted by actor Kangana Ranaut on social media and her sister Rangoli Chandel’s tweets upon the complaint of a lawyer who alleged that their posts promoted communal tensions.
The metropolitan magistrate court in its order said that the complainant has not filed certificates required under the Indian Evidence Act and that the alleged video is not available on record.
“Allegations are based on comments of the accused on social media platforms. Evidence against the accused seems to be of electronic nature. Therefore, inquiry at hands of police is necessary to proceed against proposed accused. Such inquiry will help to decide the roles of the accused,” magistrate Bhagwat T. Zirape said in his order.
The complainant Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh had approached the court in July this year after Amboli police station allegedly did not take action on his complaint. He had sought that the court take cognizance of his complaint and issue process against Chandel and Ranaut.
He said in his complaint before the court that Chandel and Ranaut, both enjoying huge followers on social media, have promoted enmity between religions with defamatory posts that hurt religious feelings and have committed offences under the IPC pertaining to promoting enmity between groups, hurting religious feelings, among others.
The complaint had cited a tweet of Chandel against a particular sect of a community which he claimed had caused outrage and hate among different communities, following which Twitter had suspended Chendel’s Twitter handle. Thereafter, Kangana had come in support of her sister and posted a video on social media, which too name-called the sect.
Khan had stated that the duo were misusing their position and influence to promote hatred between religions for personal gains and cheap publicity. The 26-year-old said that he had filed a complaint at Amboli police station after both the tweet and the video, but no action was taken and hence he had approached the court.
