Case filed against Ranveer Singh for allegedly hurting religious sentiments

Police in Bengaluru have registered a case against Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh following allegations that he insulted religious sentiments during a public event, officials said on Thursday.

The first information report (FIR) was filed by the High Grounds police on Wednesday after an additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACJM) court directed them to investigate a private complaint lodged by Prashanth Methal, a 46-year-old lawyer based in the city.

Singh has been booked under Sections 196, 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which deal with offences relating to religious sentiments.

According to the complaint, the alleged incident took place during the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on 28 November 2025. Methal claimed that while on stage, and in the presence of the lead actor of Kantara: Chapter 1, Singh performed actions that mocked the Bhoota Kola tradition practised in coastal Karnataka.

The complainant said he is a devotee of Chavundi Daiva, a guardian spirit worshipped in Bhoota Kola rituals and regarded as his family deity. He alleged that Singh imitated the divine expressions associated with Panjurli or Guliga Daiva in what he described as a crude and derogatory manner, and referred to the sacred Chavundi Daiva as a “female ghost”.

Despite an alleged request not to perform the act, Singh is accused of enacting an emotionally charged Chavundi Daiva scene from Kantara: Chapter 1 on stage. Methal stated that Chavundi Daiva symbolises justice, protection and divine feminine energy, and holds deep religious and cultural importance in the region.

Referring to the deity as a ghost, the complaint said, amounted to blasphemy and a serious insult to Hindu beliefs and practices. The complainant further alleged that the performance was carried out deliberately by a widely followed public figure on an international platform, with knowledge that it would offend devotees.

The complaint also noted that a video of the alleged performance circulated widely on social media, triggering anger, distress and resentment among followers of the tradition. Methal said he became aware of the incident after watching the clip online.

Police said the matter is under investigation and further action will follow based on the findings.

With PTI inputs