Mumbai: Observing that it has “serious reservations” over invoking the penal section of sedition against actor Kangana Ranaut, the Bombay High Court on Monday continued its interim protection till January 25 from any coercive action in the case over her tweets.

A division bench of Justice S S Shinde and Manish Pitale was hearing Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel’s plea against the case. They sought that it be quashed and the order of a magistrate directing police to register the FIR be quashed, and that pending final disposal of their petition, the entire prosecution and investigation be stayed and no coercive steps taken against them.

The HC had in November granted protection to the sisters from any coercive action and arrest. The court on Monday also directed Mumbai police not to summon the sisters for questioning till the next hearing.

At the last hearing, the HC had observed, “It has become routine that IPC 124-A (sedition) is added in complaint. For what? Are we treating citizens of the country like this?” On Monday, the HC said, “We anyway have serious reservations about invoking 124A of IPC.” Both sisters had appeared before Bandra police on January 8 to record their statements following their assurance given to the HC last November.

Ranaut’s advocate Rizwan Siddiquee challenged the October 2020 Bandra magistrate’s order that had directed police to register an FIR on a private complaint. He challenged the summons issued to them to appear before police. Munawwar Ali Sayyed, a Bollywood casting director, had filed the complaint before the magistrate. Advocate Rizwan Merchant, who appeared for Ali, sought time to file a reply to their petition. The court gave time till January 25. “The police shall not call the petitioners till that day,” the bench said.

On Monday, public prosecutor Deepak Thakare informed the bench the sisters appeared before police on January 8 from 1 pm to 3 pm. “The interrogation is incomplete... We will call her again for interrogation. What is wrong in cooperating.”

Justice Shinde said, “Whenever anyone appears before the police, they have to complete the interrogation.” She was there for two hours which should be enough, said the bench. “How many more hours” do police require, asked the bench. “How many hours do you need of their cooperation?”

Thakare replied police would like to interrogate Ranaut for three more days.

Justice Shinde suggested to the police, “You can utilise this time for some other cases. Police have other matters to investigate too. Till that time, do not call her (Ranaut) again.”