Criminal Complaint against Kangana Ranaut : Court says sanction needed to take cognizance of ‘offences’ committed by actor

While hearing a criminal complaint filed against actor Kangana Ranaut, the metropolitan magistrate’s court on Friday said that a sanction from either the Centre or the state government was necessary to take cognizance of the offences alleged to have been committed by her.

Last October, Mumbai-based lawyer Ali Kaashif Khan had moved the Andheri court alleging that Ranaut, through her social media account, had made “defamatory remarks” against the Mumbai Police in regard to the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. He also submitted that posts on her Twitter account had “defamed the country, its police, authorised government bodies, executive machinery, all being established by law in India”.

The complaint sought action against Ranaut under sections like 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (promoting enmity), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the government of India) of the IPC. “As per Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code, it is necessary to take the sanction of the central or the state government before taking cognizance of offences under (the above sections),” the court said. Khan said he will write to the government regarding the sanction. ENS