A Bathinda court has postponed cross-examination in the ongoing defamation case filed by 78-year-old farmer Mohinder Kaur against Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut until January 5, 2026. The deferral followed the December 15 hearing, where Kaur was unable to appear due to health issues, and Ranaut cited parliamentary obligations for her non-attendance.
The case originated from a November 2020 social media post by Ranaut, who shared a photograph of Kaur at a farmers' protest site. Ranaut misidentified Kaur as Bilkis Dadi, an elderly participant in the Shaheen Bagh protests, and stated that such women were "available for ₹100" to join demonstrations. The post was deleted after public criticism.
Kaur, a resident of Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Bathinda district, filed the defamation complaint under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code in January 2021, alleging harm to her reputation. She owns 13 acres of farmland and has described the proceedings as a matter of personal dignity.
Ranaut appeared in court on October 27, 2025, where she expressed regret over the post, describing it as a misunderstanding. The court granted her bail on a ₹10,000 surety. Kaur has stated that she does not accept the apology and intends to continue the legal process.
On December 5, 2025, Kaur recorded her statement in court, detailing the impact of the post on her family and community standing. Charges have been framed against Ranaut, and the court has issued summons for both parties to appear on the next scheduled date.
The case has been heard multiple times since 2021, with earlier attempts by Ranaut to quash the FIR rejected by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2022 and the Supreme Court in 2023.
