Tweets create feeling of hatred amongst community and against State: Complainant tells Bombay High Court in Kangana Ranaut case

Tweets posted by Kangana Ranaut have a tendency to incite hatred towards the Maharashtra government, the Bombay High Court has been told by a complainant who sought legal action against the Bollywood actress for her social media activity.

In his reply opposing the plea filed in the Bombay High Court by Ranaut and her sister against his complaint and the subsequent summons issued by the Mumbai Police, Munnawarali Sayyed has stated,

"Tone and content of the tweets reflect the intention of the sisters to excite a feeling of hatred towards the Maharashtra Government and create situation likely to be prejudicial maintenance of law and order."

Sayyed has opposed Ranaut's plea on the ground that an investigation was necessary to test the veracity of the alleged offences. His application states,

"Investigation is at nascent stage merely subjecting the applicants (Ranaut and her sister) to two hours of interrogation for one day is not sufficient to extract material or collect evidence to show that there was an intention on the part of the applicants to not only promote enmity or hatred inter se between different groups but also intention to bring in the Government of Maharashtra into feeling of hatred, contempt and disloyalty with a possibility of likelihood of breach of peace and creating an environment prejudicial to maintenance of law and order."

Sayyed prayed that the investigating team be given a free hand to make every possible attempt to collect evidence to prove the prosecution's case.

He also stated,

"One of the modes of investigation in this case is to collect evidence though the process of interrogation. Without interrogation the intention of the applicants (sisters) cannot be gathered. Intention being a significant ingredient for the charge under Section 124A (sedition) of Indian Penal Code the investigating officer is entitled to every right to subject Ranaut and her sister to interrogate as and when he desires."

It is Sayyed's contention that the refusal of Ranaut and her sister to appear before the investigation team for interrogation was an attempt to scuttle the probe at a nascent stage, which would cause harm to his case against them.

He further added that if the High Court intervenes in the criminal investigation now, "it would only embolden the applicants (Ranaut and her sister) and allow them to continue with their process of spreading feeling of hatred towards the government and disrupting the law and order of the society."

Sayyed has also filed an application seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Ranaut after the actress allegedly breached an undertaking given to Court by publishing a tweet and a video message from her Twitter handle.

Ranaut and her sister were granted interim protection by the High Court on November 24 after they undertook to appear before the Mumbai Police on January 8, 2021, in compliance with the summons issued to them arising out of Sayyed's complaint. They were also directed to not make any statements pertaining to the subject matter of the FIR under challenge.

Subsequently, Ranaut had appeared before the Mumbai Police on January 8. The interim protection from arrest was subsequently extended on January 11.