Member of Parliament from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, appeared before a Bathinda court on Monday in connection with an ongoing defamation case.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 12, during which arguments regarding the potential impounding of the MP’s passport are expected to take place.
The proceedings today were intended for the cross-examination of the primary witness, farmer leader Surjit Singh Phool, by the defense counsel. However, the hearing could not proceed as scheduled because the witness was unable to attend due to health concerns.
Advocate Raghuvir Singh Behniwal, representing the complainant Mahinder Kaur, noted that the defense had previously requested the cross-examination of Surjit Singh Phool. Given his absence, Kangana Ranaut’s legal team sought a new date to facilitate the questioning of Mahinder Kaur and another witness. The defamation case stems from a complaint filed by Mahinder Kaur, a resident of village Bahadurgarh Jandian, who took legal action following remarks made by the MP on social media during the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed central agricultural laws.
The dispute originated from a post in which the MP had alleged that elderly women participated in the protests for a payment of Rs 100.
Challenging these remarks, Mahinder Kaur initiated the defamation suit in the local court. Kangana Ranaut had previously approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash the criminal proceedings; however, the apex court dismissed her plea and directed her to appear before the trial court in Bathinda to face the case.
The legal battle continues as the court moves toward the next phase of testimony and examination.
(With input from UNI)