The Himachal Pradesh Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, following allegations of inflammatory social media posts. Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh confirmed that the case was lodged at the Boileauganj police station.
Authorities have initiated an investigation under Sections 196, 353, and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. These legal provisions pertain to the promotion of enmity between different groups, public mischief through the spread of false information, and defamation.
The police action was initiated after retired Army officer Captain Atul Sharma submitted a formal grievance. Captain Sharma initially contacted the Director General of Police, Ashok Tewari, via email before recording his official statement at the local police station. The complaint specifically focuses on a post shared on the social media platform X on November 10.
According to the complainant, the post linked the deaths of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, along with Sanjay Gandhi, to the political rise of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The message referred to the Congress leader as a “mysterious foreign national” and commented on the expulsion of Maneka Gandhi from the family residence. Captain Sharma argued that these remarks exceeded the limits of political criticism and risked causing public disharmony.
The complainant has requested that police preserve electronic metadata and perform a time-bound cyber-forensic examination to authenticate the content. Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders in Himachal Pradesh, including Naresh Chauhan, the Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor for Media, have publicly condemned the remarks. As of now, Kangana Ranaut and her office have not issued an official response to the registration of the FIR.
Key facts
- The FIR was registered at Boileauganj police station under Sections 196, 353, and 356 of the BNS, 2023.
- The complaint was filed by retired Army officer Captain Atul Sharma.
- The disputed content was posted on the social media platform X on November 10.
- Investigators have begun collecting digital records and electronic evidence related to the post.
Source: News18
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