In a huge development, a Mumbai court on Friday ordered the filing of an FIR against Kangana Ranaut, her sister Rangoli Chandel and brother Akshat Ranaut after they were accused of copyright violations by Ashish Kaul, author of Didda – Kashmir Ki Yodha Rani.
According to Livelaw, the FIR was registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 120 (criminal conspiracy) & 34(common intention) of the IPC and sections 51 (copyright infringement) of the Copyright Act, punishable under sections 63 & 63A.
Aside from Kangana and her siblings, producer Kamal Jain too has been named in the FIR. Ashish Kaul reportedly approached the court after Ranaut announced in January this year a sequel called Manikarnika- The Legend of Didda.
Kaul, a former Group Executive Vice President of Zee Network, said in his complaint that he exclusively owned the copyright for the unique story and the biopic of Didda who was the Princess of Lohar (Poonch), now in Jammu & Kashmir, ‘The Cleopatra of Kashmir’ who ruled for over five decades, directly and indirectly during the 10th and 11th centuries.
“Is it believable by any stretch of the imagination that a story and a book are being usurped by a renowned actor- turned-social activist?” Kaul was quoted by news agency PTI.
Known for their support for the BJP, Kangana and her sister have not reacted to the latest police complaint against them.