Kangana tweets: Complainant asked on govt nod for sedition

A metropolitan court in Mumbai onFriday directed a complainant who had sought a sedition caseagainst actor Kangana Ranaut to show whether he had takensanction from the government for the same.

The court was hearing a criminal complaint filed byadvocate Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh in which he sought actionagainst her for sedition for allegedly spreading hatredthrough her tweets.

As per CrPc section 196, sanction from the governmentis necessary before taking cognizance of offence punishableunder sedition charges.

''I will be applying to the Maharashtra government forsanction so that the accused can be prosecuted for seditionand spreading hatred,'' Khan said.

The matter has been slated for hearing on March 10.

In the compliant filed in October last year, Khan hadsought a case against Ranaut under sections 153 A (promotingenmity between different groups on ground of religion, race,place of birth, residence, language, etc), 295 A (deliberateand malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings ofany class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.

He alleged that Ranaut's tweets referred to Mumbai as''Pakistan occupied Kashmir'' and described a state minister asa member of the ''Taliban'', and that these remarks had defamedthe country.

In a similar matter, on the direction of a court,Bandra police, in October, registered an FIR against Ranautand her sister Rangoli Chandel for allegedly promoting enmitybetween communities through their remarks.