Kangana, sister appear before Mumbai police, finally

Actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel finally reported at the Bandra police station on Friday (January 8) afternoon to record their statements after a sedition case was filed against them for making offensive comments on social media “with an aim to spread communal tension”.

The sisters were accompanied by their lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui. The duo was summoned thrice between October and November last year, but they excused themselves every time. Kangana Ranaut appealed against the summons at the Bombay high court, which told the sisters to report at Bandra police station on January 8 between 12 and 2pm.

Also read: Kangana flouted sanctioned plan at her Khar residence, says Mumbai court

The Bandra police have compiled all the tweets and video statements issued by Kangana and Rangoli and accordingly prepared a series of questions for them, a police official said.

A police complaint was filed on October 16 last year, after Bollywood casting director Munawwar Ali Sayyed approached a Bandra court against the celebrity sisters referring to their tweets and other statements.

Also read: Merry Christmas to only those who respect Indian festivals: Kangana

The Bandra police booked the duo under sections 124(A) (sedition — to bring or attempt to bring into hatred or contempt, or excite or attempt to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise), 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295(A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class, by insulting it’s religion or religious beliefs) along with section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

Sayyed said in his complaint that Kangana Ranaut has tarnished the reputation of Bollywood by showing it as a centre of nepotism, favouritism, drug addicts, communal bias and murderers etc. He added that Kangana thus “tried to create communal rift between people of two communities.”

Munawwar Ali Sayyed said that Kangana’s sister Rangoli, who doubles up as her manager, too made highly objectionable statements with an objective to create communal hatred.