The Bombay High Court on Monday extended the interim relief of no coercive action against actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel till January 25.; The High Court also directed the city police not to summon the duo for questioning till then.
The division bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and Manish Pitale passed this order while hearing a Petition filed by Kangana Ranaut and her sister. The case was in connection with an FIR registered against them under sedition and other charges.
The FIR, under sedition charges and for allegedly trying to create hatred and communal tension through their posts on social media, was registered pursuant to orders passed by the Bandra Magistrate’s Court.
Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel appeared before Bandra Police in Mumbai on January 8 for recording their statement in the case, pursuant to an assurance given to the High Court in November last year.
Advocate Rizwan Merchant, appearing for complainant Sahil Ashraf Ali Sayyed, sought time to file an affidavit in response to the Petition.
The interim relief by way of no coercive action against the petitioners shall continue till then. The Police shall not call the Petitioners till that day,” the bench said.
Advocate Rizwan Merchant and Deepak Thakare told the Court that despite an assurance given by Ranaut that she would not post anything on her social media pertaining to this case, Ranaut posted several messages on Twitter, including one on the day she went to the police station.
The sisters in their plea have termed the magistrate’s order as arbitrary and perverse. Their Petition said the magistrate passed the order without proper application of mind.
The Petition sought that the HC quash the magistrate’s order and the FIR lodged by the Bandra Police. The plea also sought interim orders to the police to not take any coercive steps against the sisters and stay the summons issued to them.
The Court then adjourned the matter till January 25.