On Monday, 13 December, the Mumbai Police told the Bombay High Court that Kangana Ranaut won't face arrest till 25 January, in the FIR filed against her for her Instagram posts about the Sikh community and Khalistani movement, as per a report by Live Law. Kangana made the remarks after the contentious farm laws were repealed.
The bench recorded Kangana's undertaking that she will appear before the Khar police to record her statement, in compliance with a notice served to her under CrPC section 41.
During the hearing, the police said it will not take any coercive steps against Kangana after the court said it was considering granting interim protection to her. The court observed, "Freedom of speech shouldn't be affected... it will have a chilling effect".
Kangana had approached the High Court earlier this month, requesting that the FIR against her be quashed.
In her plea, Kangana stated that while the complainants took objection to her Instagram post made on 21 November, there was no legal case made out against her.
A Sikh organisation had filed a complaint claiming that the actor, through her Instagram post, had portrayed the farmers' protest on Delhi borders as a 'Khalistani movement'.
The police then booked Kangana on charges of deliberately hurting the community's religious sentiments.
On Monday, Kangana's counsel told the High Court that to invoke the charges, an accused must have made the offensive comment with the deliberate and malicious intent of hurting a particular person or a community's religious sentiments. However, in the present case, the actor had no such intention, advocate Rizwan Sidiquee, who appeared for the actor, said.
The bench noted, "Where is the deliberate and malicious intent here? Section 295 says that should be the sole and dominant object".
Kangana's counsel added that the actor will appear before the Khar police on 22 December. The court posted the matter for further hearing on 25 January.
(With inputs from Live Law)
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