A hearing was held in the Bathinda court on Thursday in the ongoing defamation case against BJP MP and film actress Kangana Ranaut. The case is related to the alleged objectionable remarks made about Mahinder Kaur, an elderly woman, during a protest against 3 agricultural laws. During the hearing, Kangana Ranaut did not appear in person in the court, but appeared through video conferencing.
During this time, there was a detailed debate between the two parties in the court on the application for exemption from personal appearance filed earlier by Kangana. On behalf of Kangana Ranaut, her lawyer argued that she is an MP and it is not possible to appear in court personally on every date due to her busy schedule across the country. He said that Kangana is ready to appear through video conferencing in future as well. At the same time, on behalf of the complainant Mahinder Kaur, her lawyer Raghubir Singh Kshiwal strongly opposed this application. He told the court that Kangana Ranaut is deliberately avoiding personal appearance, which is causing unnecessary delay in the hearing of the case. He said that the case has been pending for the last four years and the victim is constantly struggling in the hope of justice.
After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court accepted Kangana Ranaut’s application for exemption from personal appearance. The court ordered that Kangana can appear in the upcoming hearings through video conferencing. The court was told that the statements of some witnesses have already been recorded in the case and the evidence has also been submitted. The complainant alleges that Kangana Ranaut damaged the image of Mahinder Kaur through a post shared on social media during the Kisan Andolan, thereby affecting her social reputation. The court has fixed the date of next hearing of the case on January 27. A hearing will be held on the next date regarding witnesses and further legal proceedings. At the same time, Mahinder Kaur once again said that she will continue her legal battle until justice is served.