Bathinda, March 25: The special MP-MLA court in Bathinda proceeded with the recording of evidence on Wednesday in a criminal defamation case involving Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. Joining the proceedings through video conferencing, Ranaut was granted exemption from personal appearance while the court conducted the cross-examination of a key prosecution witness.
The case stems from a 2020 social media post in which Ranaut allegedly misidentified an elderly farmer, Mahinder Kaur, as a protester from Shaheen Bagh. The complainant maintained that the remarks, which suggested women were participating in protests for monetary compensation, were derogatory and damaging to her reputation. Advocate R.S. Bahniwal, representing Kaur, stated that the cross-examination of witness Jasvir Singh was completed during the session.
A second witness, farmer leader Surjit Singh, was unable to testify during the current hearing, leading to an adjournment until April 7. In a parallel development, the court addressed an application concerning the surrender of the legislator’s passport. Legal counsel for the MP requested additional time to prepare arguments regarding the passport request, which the court has now scheduled for consideration at the next date.
The criminal complaint was originally filed in January 2021 following widespread public reaction to the comments. Officials affirmed that the judicial process is moving forward with the scheduled examination of the remaining witnesses in the coming month.
