New Delhi — The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a petition by actor-turned-MP Kangana Ranaut seeking to quash a criminal defamation complaint, telling her counsel that the social media post in question was not a mere retweet because “you had added something, you added spice”. Faced with the court’s observations, Ranaut’s counsel withdrew the plea. (India Today)
The complaint was filed by 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur of Bathinda, who says Ranaut wrongly identified her as Bilkis Bano — a prominent face from the Shaheen Bagh protests — and implied such protesters could be hired for Rs 100. The summons in the criminal defamation case was issued by a Bathinda magistrate and has already survived earlier challenges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. (The News Minute)
During the hearing, the bench questioned the defence’s characterization of the post as a simple retweet and warned against asking the court to comment on the content in a manner that might prejudice the trial. Ranaut’s lawyers said a clarification had been given, but ultimately chose to withdraw the petition after the top court made its observations. (Bar and Bench – Indian Legal news)
The case returns to the lower court for further proceedings; the Bathinda trial had resumed earlier this year after procedural challenges and the high court’s refusal to quash the summons. Legal experts say the Supreme Court’s remarks underscore that adding personal commentary to reshared content can attract separate legal scrutiny. (The Times of India)
