Social media post on farmers: Kangana Ranaut fails to appear before Mumbai Police
Mumbai(PTI): Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut failed to appear before the Mumbai Police on Wednesday in connection with an FIR registered against her for a post that allegedly linked farmers' protests to a separatist group, an official said.
An FIR was registered against Ranaut at Khar police station last month following a complaint by a Sikh organisation.
The police earlier this month issued a notice to her for questioning. Her counsel had told the Bombay High Court that she would appear before the Khar police on December 22.
On Wednesday, her lawyer sought another date for appearance.
"Going by the spirit, aim and intent of the high court order, we requested the investigation officer for an earlier date and wanted to expedite process before the next court hearing. However, the investigation officer was not willing to accommodate us. He neither responded to my messages or calls nor did he revert on the letter which was served on him immediately after the order, Ranaut's lawyer Rizwan Sidiquee said.
"Now my client will appear before him on another earliest date as may be available. If the officer does not accommodate us, then we will leave it to the high court to decide on the matter on merits, he said.
The city police had earlier told the Bombay High Court that they will not arrest Ranaut till January 25, 2022 over her social media post that allegedly linked farmers' protests to a separatist group.
The police had made the statement after the HC said the issue involved the larger question of Ranaut's fundamental right to free speech and that the court will have to grant her some ad-interim relief.
Ranaut approached the HC earlier this month, seeking that the FIR registered against her at Khar police station be quashed.
The FIR was registered against the actor following a complaint made by some members of a Sikh body that claimed Ranaut, through her Instagram post, had portrayed the farmers' protest on Delhi borders as a Khalistani movement.
The police then booked Ranaut on charges of deliberately hurting the community's religious sentiments, under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code.
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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
