The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s petition seeking to quash a summoning order issued by a Bathinda court in a defamation case. The complaint was filed by 73-year-old farmer Mahinder Kaur, who alleged that Kangana defamed her in a social media post by misidentifying her as Bilkis Bano of Shaheen Bagh and implying that elderly women protestors could be hired for ₹100. The court observed that the allegations were specific and defamatory, and the complaint was valid in seeking to protect the respondent’s reputation.
Kaur, who took part in the farmers’ agitation, said the post—later deleted—subjected her to public ridicule and emotional distress. Kangana’s retweet mocked Kaur’s involvement and criticized international media coverage of the protests. After being summoned by the Bathinda court on February 22, 2022, Kangana approached the High Court, arguing that the trial court misapplied Section 202 of the CrPC. However, the High Court found no merit in her plea and upheld the summoning order.