Kangana’s plea to cancel 2021 FIR in Didda film case can be withdrawn: High Court
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed Kangana Ranaut to withdraw her petition seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against her in 2021.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed actress Kangana Ranaut to withdraw the petition she had filed in 2021 to quash the FIR registered against her at Mumbai’s Khar police station.
The FIR was lodged by Ashish Kaul, author of a book, which has been translated into Hindi. Warrior Queen Didda of Kashmir. The police had also filed a charge sheet in the case.
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Kaul said that he has exclusive copyright on the life story DiddaPrincess of Lohar (Poonch) and Rani of Kashmir, and had reportedly sent Ranaut an email about the story of her book.
In turn, the actor used parts of the story in a tweet while announcing a film, allegedly without Kaul’s permission. Ranaut wrote, a film had to be made Topic Manikarnika Returns: The Legend of Didda.
Kaul had first approached a magistrate court which directed the registration of an FIR.
On Wednesday, advocate Adnan Shaikh, appearing for Kaul, pointed out that Ranaut had filed a similar petition in 2021 and it was partially heard.
Advocate Adnan Shaikh, appearing for Kaul, said the fresh petition was filed with similar prayers without withdrawing the previous petition. In the previous petition also, the same relief of quashing the FIR was sought.
Ranaut’s contention is that her sister Rangoli Chandel had received an unsolicited email with the subject title “Kashmiri queen who defeated Ghazni twice” but the email was not acknowledged.
Ranaut had announced through social media in January 2021 that she would make a film. Manikarnika Returns: The Legend of Didda. He said that the inspiration for the related film was taken from the life story and historical facts of Rani Didda, which were in the public domain.
Soon after, Kaul issued a notice to Ranaut and the film project never started after that. However, since then Ranaut has been facing the case, which is going on in the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
