Bombay HC refuses urgent hearing of KanganaRanaut’s plea on passport renewal
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The Bombay high court on Tuesday refused an urgent hearing of actor KanganaRanaut’s plea seeking directions to the authorities to renew her passport, which expires in September, as she has to travel to Hungary for the shooting of a film. The renewal has apparently been denied over a pending case against her. Calling the application vague, the court said Ranaut was not vigilant enough to mention all details and that she also did not include the authorities as a party. The court allowed her to amend the application and posted the hearing in the matter on June 25. A bench of justicesPrasannaVarale and justice SurendraTavade asked Ranaut’s lawyer RizwanSiddiquee for the refusal order. Siddiquee told the bench that the objection raised was not in writing as she was verbally asked to get orders from the high court regarding the quashing of the First Information Report (FIR) against her.
The FIR was registered against Ranaut and her sister, RangoliChandel, in October 2020 on a magistrate’s order for allegedly creating communal disharmony through their statements and tweets.
Siddiquee submitted that in her passport renewal application, Ranaut mentioned the case and hence the authorities directed her to get directions from the high court.
The bench sought to know why the interim application did not specifically mention it was only for the renewal of Ranaut’s passport and had nothing to do with Chandel. When Siddiquee sought an earlier date of hearing, the bench observed it was only a film shoot and her schedule could be adjusted.
