Kangana Ranaut Booked In Himachal Pradesh Over Social Media Posts On Gandhi Family
Legal trouble has mounted for Bollywood actor and Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut after Himachal Pradesh Police registered a formal First Information Report against her in Shimla. The police action follows a written complaint regarding a series of posts shared from her verified social media account targeting members of the Gandhi family. Senior police officers confirmed that the case has been officially recorded and an investigation into the online content is now underway.
According to Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh, the case was registered at the Baluganj police station based on a formal complaint submitted by a Shimla resident named Captain Atul Sharma. The complainant sent his application via email to the Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police, also marking copies to senior officials of the Criminal Investigation Department and the Cyber Crime wing. Following a review of the allegations, police registered the case under three key sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The sections applied in the case include Section 196, which deals with promoting enmity between different groups, Section 353, which covers statements that can cause public mischief, and Section 356, which relates to defamation. By invoking these legal provisions, investigators will examine whether the posts crossed the limits of normal political criticism and entered the territory of spreading harmful misinformation.
In his detailed complaint, Captain Atul Sharma stated that the controversial posts were uploaded from Ranaut's verified account on X along with an old video clip featuring members of the Gandhi family. According to the complaint, the posts contained deeply offensive suggestions regarding the tragic deaths of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her sons, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The complainant argued that drawing unfair and suspicious links around such painful historical tragedies is deeply irresponsible.
Furthermore, the complaint pointed out that the posts described Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in disrespectful terms, calling her a mysterious foreign national and making sarcastic remarks about how she rose to become the head of the ruling alliance after the deaths of her relatives. The posts also made claims about Maneka Gandhi being abruptly forced out of the family home following the death of Sanjay Gandhi. Sharma stated that presenting historical events in such a distorted manner was meant to provoke anger among citizens.
Explaining why he approached the police, the complainant noted that political leaders and public figures have the right to criticize opponents in a democracy, but they cannot spread baseless stories that threaten social peace. He argued that Ranaut's narrative went far beyond healthy political debate and could create fear, alarm, and hostility among different sections of society. He urged the police to conduct a strict, time-bound digital investigation into the posts.
As part of his request, Sharma asked investigators to examine the original video clip, digital records, and technical details behind the social media uploads to understand how the content was created and shared. Police officials stated that their teams are currently verifying all electronic evidence attached to the complaint and will follow standard legal procedures as the probe moves forward.
Kangana Ranaut, who represents the Mandi parliamentary constituency in Himachal Pradesh, has often found herself at the center of political and legal controversies due to her outspoken remarks on social media. So far, neither the BJP MP nor her office has issued an official statement responding to the registration of the FIR in Shimla.
The development has sparked fresh political discussion in Himachal Pradesh, where the Congress party is currently in power. While supporters of the complainant have welcomed the swift police action against what they call irresponsible online behavior, political observers are watching closely to see how the police investigation unfolds and what legal steps Ranaut's team will take next in response to the charges.