Punjab Court Summons Kangana on Oct 27
A court in Bathinda, Punjab, has directed actor-politician Kangana Ranaut to appear in person on October 27 in a defamation case. The court rejected her plea to attend via video conferencing.
Case Origins
The suit was filed by 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur from Bahadurgarh Jandian village, Bathinda. She alleges that during the 2020–21 farmers’ protest, Kangana retweeted a post with her own comment that wrongly identified Kaur as Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh and suggested that women like her were being paid ₹100 to protest.
Court Proceedings
At the hearing, Kangana’s legal team had asked for a permanent exemption from physical appearance, citing logistical reasons. The court dismissed the request, citing procedural norms that require an accused’s personal presence at the early stage of trial. Fresh summons were then issued instructing her to appear on October 27.
Legal History
Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court declined to quash the lower court’s summons. Kangana had appealed to the Supreme Court, but on September 12, the apex court observed that her post was “not a simple retweet” and that she had “added spice” to it. Subsequently, she withdrew her plea.
What to Expect Next
The October session will be key. If Kangana fails to appear without a valid excuse, the court may issue arrest warrants. The defamation trial will proceed from there unless new legal petitions intervene.
