FIR registered against Kangana, sister over 'objectionable' tweets

Mumbai: On the orders of a local court, Mumbai Police on Saturday registered an FIR against actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel for allegedly promoting enmity between different communities and other charges.

The Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate's court had ordered the police to investigate a complaint filed by Munawwar Ali Sayyed, a Bollywood casting director and fitness trainer, which referred to Ranaut's and her sister's tweets and other statements.

On the directions of the court, Bandra Police registered a First Information Report against Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel under IPC sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc.), 295A (deliberate acts hurting religious sentiments) and 124-A (sedition), a police official said.

According to Sayyed's lawyer, the complaint alleged that Ranaut has been defaming Bollywood for the last two months by calling it a "hub of nepotism", "favouritism", etc, through her tweets and television interviews.

She also tweeted "very objectionable" comments, which not only hurt his religious sentiments, but also the feelings of many artists and she was trying to divide artists on communal lines, the complainant said.

"Her sister, too, has made objectionable comments on social media to spread communal tension between two religious groups," he said. Metropolitan magistrate Jaydeo Y Ghule said in the order on Friday that prima facie "cognisable offence" has been committed by the accused, and directed the police to initiate necessary action and investigation against the actor and her sister. "Allegations are based upon the comments made on electronic media — Twitter and interviews — and a thorough investigation by an expert is necessary," the court said.