Cyber Cops withdraw three-day summons issued to Kangana Ranaut

In the Hrithik-Kangana saga, the Cyber crime cell of Mumbai police withdrew its summons to actress Kangana Ranaut and her sister to make a personal appearance at the police station within three days to record her statement in a case registered by actor Hrithik Roshan about an allegedly fake email address created in his name. The cops sent a fresh letter seeking her to fix a time and date at her convenience to interview her and record her statement.

The police which had last week on March 25 ordered her to attend the police station on March 28, withdrew that letter and sent her a fresh late on April 1, with a stamp of politeness all over it. While the earlier letter "directed'' Kangana to attend the police station, the police changing the language and tenor, has now "requested to intimate date and time and place'' to interview her.

Her advocate Rizwan Siddiquee had two days ago objected to the manner in which the police had issued summons, against the legal procedures. "The Police officer now having partly understood the provisions of law have duly withdrawn the demand of my clients' presence at their police station, and have instead in a polite manner requested my client to communicate to them the date, time and place as per their convenience so as to enable the concerned officer to visit them and record their statement," he told TOI on Saturday.


"My client Kangana Ranaut who has been a victim as per Hrithik Roshan's claim can only record her statement as a witness (victim) in the matter, provided that the concerned Police Officer follows the provisions of law, and duly hands over the copies of the F.I.R. and other related documents as demanded by us under the provisions of Section 76 of Indian Evidence Act 1872. I have sufficiently educated the concerned officer of my client's rights as has been provided by the Statute, as well as her duties as a Police Officer," said Sidiquee adding, "We will now wait to see when would the concerned officer give us the required documents as has been legally demanded by me for and on behalf of my clients in exercise of their legal rights.''

Roshan had told the police that Kangana was the "fan" who had been interacting with the imposter who was pretending to be him. The alleged "imposter" had been using the fake email ID hroshan@-email.com to be in contact with the actor's fans and friends, Roshan alleged and the cops acting promptly on March 25, through the cyber crime cell, had issued summons to the actress to record her statement within three days. The cops even summoned Kangana's sister Rangoli, as she is believed to be aware of the incident. Kangana has been claiming that it was Hrithik himself who was interacting with her through that email ID.

While the earlier summons by the cops (TOI has copy of both) to the National award winning actress sounded high handed as it said, "You are directed to attend this police station on 28/3/2016 or within seven days on receipt of this letter/email and see Sr Inspector of Police, Cyber Police station, Crime Branch, CID, Mumbai to record your statement along with all relevant documents in support of your say." The police had also said, "You are further directed not to tamper with and bring along digital evidence available on your computer/laptop/cell phone etc." Roshan had filed a case of cheating through impersonation under Indian Penal Code and under the provisions of the Information Technology Act against an unknown person.

But after her lawyer took up the matter with the cops, their fresh email on April 1 to her politely said, "As it is pertinent for the investigation to analyse the digital documents...you are requested to intimate the date, time and place of your convenience so that the undersigned (Kalpana Gadekar, senior inspector of police, Cyber police station) can conduct the interview."