Supreme Court Allows Defamation Case Against Kangana Ranaut to Proceed
Kangana Ranaut, actor and Member of Parliament, has withdrawn her petition to the Supreme Court seeking to quash a criminal defamation complaint filed against her. The case originates from a 2020 retweet concerning the farmers’ protests against the now-repealed farm laws.
A bench comprised of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta declined to hear Ranaut’s plea on Friday, September 12, 2025, and permitted her counsel to withdraw it, suggesting she pursue remedies within the trial court. This follows a previous dismissal of her plea by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
the High Court had ruled that Ranaut failed to demonstrate good faith in the allegedly defamatory post. It also emphasized the “extra responsibility” borne by public figures with large social media followings to verify the accuracy of their statements.
During the Supreme Court hearing, Justice Mehta expressed concern over the content of Ranaut’s retweet, noting she had “added her own comments” and “added spice” to the original post.while Ranaut’s counsel stated a clarification had been issued,Justice Mehta directed that the clarification be presented to the trial court. The bench also cautioned against arguing the merits of the tweet before them, stating it could potentially prejudice her defense during trial.
The complaint was initially filed in January 2021 by Mahinder Kaur, a 73-year-old protester from Punjab, alleging defamation. Kaur claimed she was wrongly identified as Bilkis Bano, a participant in the Shaheen Bagh protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, in a retweet shared by Ranaut.The retweet falsely linked Kaur to the Shaheen Bagh protests while claiming she was also involved in the farmers’ agitation.
The case is registered under Sections 499 and 500 of the indian Penal Code, pertaining to defamation. A summoning order was issued by a Magistrate in February 2022, requiring Ranaut to face trial. The High Court upheld this order, citing sufficient prima facie evidence of defamation and noting Ranaut’s failure to apologize after learning the data was inaccurate.
With the withdrawal of her petition,the Supreme Court recorded the matter as “dismissed as withdrawn,” allowing the defamation case to proceed in the trial court.
Published: September 12, 2025 01:56 pm IST.