The Karnataka High Court has extended interim protection to actor Ranveer Singh in the Kantara mimicry case till March 9. The FIR was filed after he referred to the “Chavunda” deity as a “ghost”, allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday extended the interim relief granted to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh till March 9 in a case where he has been accused of mimicking a character from the film Kantara Chapter-1 and allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
The matter relates to an FIR registered against Singh after he mimicked the character “Chavunda” deity from the movie. During the mimicry, he referred to the deity as a “ghost”, which led to objections from a complainant.
The complainant, who is a practising lawyer, alleged that his religious sentiments were deeply hurt by the remark and approached a local court. Acting on the directions of the local court, the police registered a case against the actor.
Singh moved the Karnataka High Court seeking quashing of the FIR filed against him. He argued that the case was baseless and that no offence was made out against him. Earlier, on February 24, the High Court had granted interim protection to the actor and directed the police not to take any coercive steps against him.
When the matter was taken up on Monday, Singh was directed to appear before the Court in person. However, his senior counsel Sajjan Poovayya informed the Court that the actor was unable to travel to Bengaluru as he was currently in London and facing travel difficulties due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
After hearing the submissions, the High Court extended the interim relief granted to Singh till March 9, thereby continuing the direction that no coercive action should be taken against him during this period.
The controversy has drawn attention because the film Kantara Chapter-1, starring and directed by Rishab Shetty, features the powerful portrayal of the “Chavunda” deity, which holds deep cultural and religious significance in coastal Karnataka. The complainant alleged that referring to the deity as a “ghost” amounted to disrespect and insult.
The case will now be taken up again on March 9, when further arguments are expected to be heard on Singh’s plea to quash the FIR.
Case Title:
Ranveer Singh v. State of Karnataka
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