Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Friday withdrew her petition from the Supreme Court seeking to quash a criminal defamation case filed against her in connection with a retweet she posted during the 2020–21 farmers’ protests.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta appeared reluctant to entertain the plea, prompting Ranaut’s legal team to withdraw it. The court suggested she could explore other legal remedies before the trial court instead.

Ranaut had approached the Supreme Court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed her earlier petition. That court held that she had failed to prove her allegedly defamatory remarks were made in good faith.

As the Supreme Court began hearing the matter, Justice Mehta questioned the nature of Ranaut's retweet. “It was not a simple retweet. You have added your own comments. You have added spice,” he remarked, according to Live Law.

Ranaut’s lawyer responded that she had issued a clarification regarding her remarks. However, the bench noted that such clarifications should be presented to the trial court. When the counsel pointed out that Ranaut couldn't travel to Punjab due to the "situation," the judges advised that she could request an exemption from personal appearances.

When the lawyer attempted to argue further, the bench cautioned against it. "Don’t ask us to comment on what is written in the tweet. It may prejudice your trial. You may have a valid defence," Justice Mehta warned.

The case dates back to a tweet by Ranaut during the farmers’ protests, where she commented on and retweeted a photo of an elderly woman protestor. She allegedly claimed the woman was the same "dadi" who had protested at Shaheen Bagh—implying she was a paid protestor.

The woman in the photo, 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur from Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjab’s Bathinda district, filed a defamation complaint in January 2021. She accused Ranaut of making "false and derogatory" statements that harmed her reputation.

In her earlier petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Ranaut’s legal team argued that the summoning order issued by the Bathinda trial court was flawed and violated due process. However, that plea was dismissed.

With the Supreme Court now stepping back from the case, the matter returns to the lower court, where Ranaut will have to continue her legal defence.