Overview

• Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected Ranaut’s Section 482 petition challenging the defamation complaint and summons under IPC Sections 499 and 500.
• Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya held that the lower court properly applied mind to prima facie evidence showing Ranaut’s retweet contained false, damaging imputations.
• The case traces back to a 2021 complaint by 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur, whom Ranaut misidentified as the ‘Shaheen Bagh dadi’ and said was “available for 100 rupees.”
• The court noted Ranaut offered no apology and found she failed to demonstrate her remarks qualified for good-faith or public-interest exceptions.
• Following the decision, Ranaut will stand trial before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Bathinda under the existing summons.