Bathinda Court Deals Blow to Kangana Ranaut, Dismisses Plea in Defamation Case

Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu): A Bathinda court has dismissed Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's petition to appear via video conference in a defamation case related to her comments about an elderly woman during the 2021 farmers' protest. Ranaut will now have to appear in person on October 27th.

The case stems from Ranaut's tweet about Mahinder Kaur, an 87-year-old farmer who participated in the protests. Kaur alleged that Ranaut's comments, which implied she was paid ₹100 to join the protest, were defamatory and hurt her reputation. Ranaut claims she merely retweeted a post and didn't intend to harm Kaur's reputation.

The court's decision to reject Ranaut's plea to appear via video conference means she will have to be present in court on the scheduled date, as per the court's order. The court had previously sought a report from Twitter Communications India Private Limited regarding the summons served to Ranaut.

Mahinder Kaur has expressed willingness to forgive Ranaut if she apologizes, but since Ranaut maintains she is right, Kaur is seeking justice from the courts. The case has garnered significant attention due to Ranaut's public profile and the controversy surrounding her comments during the farmers' protest.