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.