Bengaluru police have filed a criminal case against Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh following allegations that his conduct at a public event hurt religious sentiments linked to a traditional coastal Karnataka ritual.
The High Grounds police registered the First Information Report (FIR) after a private complaint filed by Prashanth Methal, a 46-year-old lawyer from Bengaluru. The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACJM) court referred the complaint to the police for investigation, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The actor has been booked under Sections 196, 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
According to the complaint, the alleged incident took place during the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 28, 2025. Methal claimed that while sharing the stage with the lead actor of Kantara: Chapter 1, Ranveer Singh enacted gestures and expressions that he said amounted to a mockery of the Bhoota Kola tradition, a ritual worship practice followed in Coastal Karnataka.
The complainant stated that he is a devotee of Chavundi Daiva, a guardian spirit revered in Bhoota Kola and also his family deity. He alleged that the actor imitated the divine forms of Panjurli and Guliga Daiva in what he described as a disrespectful and exaggerated manner. The complaint further claimed that Singh referred to Chavundi Daiva as a “female ghost,” a description the complainant termed offensive and incorrect.
Despite an alleged request from those present to refrain from performing the act, the complaint said the actor went ahead and enacted an emotionally charged scene associated with Chavundi Daiva from Kantara: Chapter 1 on stage.
Methal argued that Chavundi Daiva represents justice, protection and divine feminine power, and holds deep spiritual and cultural importance for devotees in the region. Describing the deity as a ghost, he said, amounted to blasphemy and a serious affront to Hindu religious beliefs.
The complaint also noted that a video clip of the performance circulated widely on social media, triggering anger, distress and resentment among devotees. Methal said he came to know about the incident after watching the video online.
Alleging that the act was intentional, the complainant stated that a public figure of Singh’s stature should have been aware of the potential impact of his actions, especially on an international ???.
Police said further investigation is underway.
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