Kangana Ranaut Booked: Himachal Police File FIR Over ‘Inflammatory’ Gandhi Family Posts

Himachal Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut over social media posts about the Gandhi family that a complainant alleged were inflammatory, Zoom TV reported on November 14. The case was registered on Friday, November 13, after Shimla resident and retired Captain Atul Sharma filed a complaint with the Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh. Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh confirmed the registration of the FIR and said an investigation is now underway. According to the complaint, Ranaut shared a series of posts on November 10 from her verified social media handle, accompanying an archival video featuring members of the Gandhi family. The complainant alleged the posts contained insinuations about the deaths of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and of Sanjay Gandhi, and described Congress leader Sonia Gandhi as a ‘mysterious foreign national’. The posts also referred to Maneka Gandhi being ‘thrown out’ of the family home after Sanjay Gandhi’s death, and ended with the remark ‘How Convenient’, according to reports. The complaint sought a rigorous, time-bound cyber forensic investigation into the posts. Police have registered the case under Sections 196, 353 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with promoting enmity between different groups, statements conducive to public mischief, and defamation. The charges remain allegations at this stage, and the registration of an FIR does not amount to a finding of guilt. The controversy drew a political response on Saturday, with Himachal Pradesh BJP spokesperson Sanjay Sharma distancing the party from Ranaut’s remarks, saying they reflected her personal opinion and not the party’s official statement. Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s principal media advisor, Naresh Chauhan, criticised the remarks as inconsistent with the values of Himachal Pradesh. There was no immediate response from Ranaut to the FIR at the time of reporting.

Source: Zoom TV