Himachal Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against BJP MP Kangana Ranaut over her social media posts concerning the Gandhi family, following allegations that the content contained inflammatory insinuations about the deaths of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and her sons, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
The case was registered at Boileauganj police station in Shimla on Friday under Sections 196, 353 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with promoting enmity between different groups, statements causing public mischief and defamation, respectively.
Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh confirmed the development, saying the FIR had been registered following a complaint by Shimla resident Capt. Atul Sharma. He added that an investigation had been initiated and evidence related to the matter was being collected.
What the complaint against Kangana Ranaut alleges
Sharma had approached Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Ashok Tewari through an email on Thursday evening, seeking immediate registration of an FIR and a rigorous, time-bound cyber-forensic investigation into Ranaut's social media posts. The complaint was sent at 7.51 pm, and a copy was also made available to news agency PTI.
The complainant alleged that Ranaut had published the controversial content through her verified social media handle on November 10. According to Sharma, the posts contained highly inflammatory insinuations concerning the deaths of Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
He particularly objected to references to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who was allegedly described in the posts as a "mysterious foreign national". According to the complaint, the narrative suggested that she had landed in a cafe abroad before members of the Gandhi family were killed one after another, eventually leaving her at the helm of the government.
The post reportedly concluded the insinuations with the remark: "How convenient".
Sharma also took exception to allegations concerning Maneka Gandhi, the wife of Sanjay Gandhi, claiming that the posts referred to her abrupt expulsion from the family residence following her husband's death.
The complainant argued that the posts went beyond the boundaries of political criticism and dissent, amounting instead to a calculated narrative capable of provoking public hostility and disturbing public tranquillity.
Complainant seeks cyber-forensic investigation
In his complaint, Sharma alleged that the content amounted to public mischief through the circulation of false information with the intention of causing fear or alarm.
He further claimed that the posts had the potential to promote enmity between different groups, prejudice the maintenance of communal harmony and contain imputations and assertions that could be prejudicial to national integration.
Seeking police intervention, Sharma called for a detailed examination of the social media content and a time-bound cyber-forensic investigation to establish its authenticity and context.
Following the complaint, Sharma was also called to Boileauganj police station, where he recorded his statement. He subsequently said he had submitted printouts of Ranaut's X account and the November 10 post, along with the relevant URL, as part of his complaint.
The police have initiated an investigation into the allegations. The FIR marks the beginning of the legal process, and the allegations against Ranaut are yet to be established.