In a significant courtroom moment, the Supreme Court of India refused to quash a defamation case against actor-politician Kangana Ranaut over a controversial social media post from the 2020-21 farmers’ protests. The post in question compared a protester, 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur of Bathinda, to Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh, suggesting the woman was “available for 100 rupees” to protest. 

A bench headed by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta pointed out that the tweet was not simply a retweet; Ranaut had added her own commentary “spice,” as the court put it. The bench said that such commentary may carry implications that would need examination in trial court, rather than being dismissed at the quashing-stage.

Facing the court’s insistence, Kangana’s counsel chose to withdraw the petition seeking to quash the complaint. The case was earlier challenged in the Punjab & Haryana High Court, which had rejected her plea, finding prima facie evidence for alleged defamation.

Mahinder Kaur’s complaint argues that the post wrongly identified her as Bilkis Bano and thereby conveyed false, defamatory imputations, harming her reputation and subjecting her to public ridicule. The High Court had observed that being a public figure entails responsibility, especially in statements made over social media. 

With the Supreme Court declining to allow the plea to quash the case, the matter will now proceed in the lower courts, where the substantive issues raised by Kaur will be examined in all details. The decision underscores the judiciary’s stance that comments embellishing a retweet are not immune from legal scrutiny, especially when they might tarnish someone’s dignity or reputation.