The Andheri metropolitan magistrate court on Monday issued a bailable warrant against Kangana Ranaut after she did not appear during the hearing on a criminal complaint filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar alleging defamatory statements made by the actor about him.
The metropolitan magistrate R.R. Khan had issued summons to Kangana to appear in court on March 1 regarding the matter but the actor did not turn up. The magistrate in December 2020 directed the Juhu police to conduct an inquiry into the complaint of defamation filed by Akhtar against Kangana before the court in November last year.
However, since the warrant is returnable she has been given a fresh date to appear. Ranaut will now have to appear before the court in March 26 2021.
Javed Akhtar had alleged that Ranaut, in her interviews to several news channels, had comments against him that were defematory in nature. Akhtar who has already recorded his statement two months ago has stated that it was “a campaign to tarnish and malign” his reputation.
On February 1st 2021, Akhtar remained present before the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate where his lawyer Niranjan Mundergi argued on his behalf. The court then had directed Ranaut to either remain present in person or deny the charges. The actor however failed to do so. She is also yet to either issue a statement or tweet about the latest development.
After the directive, the Juhu police station, which is probing the case, informed the court that offences alleged by Akhtar required further investigation. A copy of the report was submitted to the court along with a video clip of the interview. Advocate appearing for Akhtar told the court that despite summons by the Juhu police, Kangana had not appeared before them.
It was alleged that on July 19, Kangana gave an interview in which she made defamatory statements against Akhtar by linking him with the suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. A criminal complaint was filed on November 3 before the Andheri metropolitan magistrate under Section 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Akhtar, in his complaint, alleged that Kangana Ranaut had made defamatory comments against him in an interview, by dragging his name while referring to a “coterie” existing in Bollywood, following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year.
The lyricist in his plea claimed that the “baseless comments” made by Kangana Ranaut had caused damage to his reputation.
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