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A criminal case has been registered against actor Ranveer Singh over allegations of hurting religious sentiments during a public appearance. The case was filed by the High Grounds police after an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACJM) court directed an investigation into a private complaint submitted by Bengaluru-based lawyer Prashanth Methal.
Singh has been booked under Sections 196, 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The complaint relates to an incident at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 28, 2025. Methal alleged that while sharing the stage with the lead actor of Kantara: Chapter 1, the actor performed actions that mocked elements of the Bhoota Kola ritual tradition followed in Coastal Karnataka.
According to the complaint, Singh allegedly imitated the divine expressions associated with Panjurli/Guliga Daiva in a manner described as crude and derogatory, and referred to Chavundi Daiva as a "female ghost."
Methal stated that Chavundi Daiva is his family deity and that he has been a devotee since childhood. He alleged that despite being requested not to enact the ritual, Singh went on to perform a scene related to Chavundi Daiva from Kantara: Chapter 1 during the event.
The complaint further claimed that describing the deity as a ghost amounted to blasphemy and a serious insult to Hindu religious beliefs, given the deity’s cultural and spiritual significance in the coastal region.
It also stated that a video of the alleged performance circulated widely on social media, leading to mental distress and resentment among devotees. Methal said he learned of the incident after watching the clip online.
The act was described in the complaint as deliberate and intended to outrage religious feelings.
Also Read: Reference to foreign powers creating 'conflict,' Army needs 'due verification': HC on Jana Nayagan row
Singh has been booked under Sections 196, 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The complaint relates to an incident at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 28, 2025. Methal alleged that while sharing the stage with the lead actor of Kantara: Chapter 1, the actor performed actions that mocked elements of the Bhoota Kola ritual tradition followed in Coastal Karnataka.
According to the complaint, Singh allegedly imitated the divine expressions associated with Panjurli/Guliga Daiva in a manner described as crude and derogatory, and referred to Chavundi Daiva as a "female ghost."
Methal stated that Chavundi Daiva is his family deity and that he has been a devotee since childhood. He alleged that despite being requested not to enact the ritual, Singh went on to perform a scene related to Chavundi Daiva from Kantara: Chapter 1 during the event.
The complaint further claimed that describing the deity as a ghost amounted to blasphemy and a serious insult to Hindu religious beliefs, given the deity’s cultural and spiritual significance in the coastal region.
It also stated that a video of the alleged performance circulated widely on social media, leading to mental distress and resentment among devotees. Methal said he learned of the incident after watching the clip online.
The act was described in the complaint as deliberate and intended to outrage religious feelings.
Also Read: Reference to foreign powers creating 'conflict,' Army needs 'due verification': HC on Jana Nayagan row
