Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Police on Friday registered an FIR against BJP MP Kangana Ranaut following a complaint over her social media posts concerning the Gandhi family, which allegedly contained "highly inflammatory insinuations" about the deaths of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and her sons, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi.
Superintendent of Police (Shimla) Gaurav Singh said the case was registered on a complaint filed by Shimla resident Capt. Atul Sharma. An investigation will follow, he added.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 196, 353, and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The actor-turned-politician is facing charges including defamation, statements conducive to public mischief, and promoting enmity between different groups.
Sharma alleged that Ranaut's posts, shared through her verified social media handle on November 10, contained highly inflammatory insinuations regarding the deaths of Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
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In his complaint to the Director General of Police, sent by email, Sharma sought the immediate registration of an FIR and a rigorous, time-bound cyber-forensic investigation against Ranaut. A copy of the complaint is available with PTI.
The complaint was sent at 7.51 pm on Thursday.
What does the complaint allege?
According to Sharma, the posts described Congress leader Sonia Gandhi as a "mysterious foreign national" who allegedly landed in a cafe abroad before relatives were killed one after another, leaving her as the head of government, with the remark: "How convenient".
The complaint also alleged that the posts referred to the abrupt expulsion of Maneka Gandhi from the family residence following Sanjay Gandhi's death.
Sharma said the narrative crossed the line from political dissent into territory that could incite public hostility and disturb public tranquillity.
He alleged that the posts amounted to public mischief through the circulation of false information with the intent to cause fear or alarm. The complaint further claimed that they could promote enmity between different groups, prejudice the maintenance of harmony and contain imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration.
