Court Cautions Ranveer Singh Over Sentiments

Bengaluru's high court issued a conditional ad interim order on Tuesday, directing city police not to take coercive steps against actor Ranveer Singh. This protection is contingent upon his full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. The actor had approached the court to challenge a First Information Report (FIR) registered against him concerning his mimicry of a character from the acclaimed Kannada film 'Kantara: Chapter 1'.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna, presiding over the case, orally remarked that a superstar is not above the law and has no right to hurt public sentiments. The judge stressed the responsibility that comes with influence, cautioning against loose talk. The actor's counsel argued that the FIR lacked application of mind and that an apology had been tendered. However, the court noted that while individuals might forget, the internet retains such content indefinitely.

The incident occurred during a promotion event for Singh's film 'Dhurandhar' at the International Film Festival of India in Goa last November. The complainant's counsel described the actor's action as a 'shoot and scoot' attempt. The FIR was filed by a Bengaluru resident after Singh allegedly mimicked the deity portrayed by actor Rishab Shetty in 'Kantara: Chapter 1'.

In his petition, Ranveer Singh asserted that the complaint failed to establish any offense on his part. He also contended that the magistrate's order directing the FIR registration suffered from a non-application of mind and that the police had proceeded without a proper inquiry. Singh reiterated that he had offered an unconditional apology, emphasizing his respect for all cultures and traditions and disavowing any intent to spread hatred.