Actor Kangana Ranaut files counter plaint against Javed Akhtar

The actor has accused Javed Akhtar of extortion, criminal intimidation, injury and insulting her modesty

Actor Kangana Ranaut on Monday appeared before a metropolitan magistrate court in Andheri in connection with a defamation case filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar. The actor has filed a counter-complaint against Akhtar, accusing him of extortion, criminal intimidation, injury and insulting her modesty.

Lyricist Javed Akhtar at the Andheri magistrate court for a hearing in the case involving actor Kangana Ranaut, on Monday. (Vijay Bate/HT PHOTO)

Ranaut, whose appearance was sought by the court, has also filed an application to the chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM), demanding the transfer of Akhtar’s case to some other magistrate court.

“I am making a categorical statement that I have no faith in this court,” she has said in her application filed through advocate Rizwan Siddique. Ranaut added that she had lost faith in the court as it had asked her to appear before it without providing any sufficient reason and an on record order which justified compelling appearance of accused in a bailable, non-cognisable and compoundable offence.

“This court is threatening the accused on every date of issuing an arrest warrant without giving any sufficient cause and reason,” her application stated.

Metropolitan magistrate RR Khan has now posted the matter to November 15 as the application for the transfer of the case is likely to be heard by the CMM court on October 1.

Akhtar’s counsel, advocate Jay Bhardwaj, opposed the move to adjourn the matter, saying that there was no stay on the hearing.

In her fresh complaint against Akhtar, Ranaut has alleged that after her dispute with co-star Hrithik Roshan, Akthar had called her and her sister Rangoli Chandel to his house in Juhu with “mala fide intentions and ulterior motives”. The actor has stated that Akhtar called her and Chandel on the pretext of acting as a mediator but instead threatened her.

“We had not asked him to intervene in our matter,” she said.

She further alleged that Akthar forced her to tender a written apology to her Roshan, thus forcefully seeking to create a document in a favour of her co-star.

Ranaut has also alleged that Akthar had said that if she failed to apologise to Roshan, she would have to commit suicide because they would her in jail as they had found all the clues and evidences and have the case completely in their hands.

The actor has said in her complaint that by mala fide and mischief and intentionally indulging in the above serious cognisable offences, Akhtar caused her immense mental torture and trauma.

She prayed that her complaint against Akthar was delayed as her family allowed her to do so only now and hence, the delay should be condoned. However, she has also stated that they had spoken about it earlier on different platforms and the links of the same are available.

In the last hearing on September 14, the magistrate had warned Ranaut’s counsel that if she failed to appear before the court for the next hearing on – for the appearance of both the parties and to decide on Ranaut’s application on permanent exemption – September 20, it could issue an arrest warrant against her.

Akhtar had filed a defamation complaint against Ranaut last November for allegedly making defamatory and baseless comments against in a television interview.

The magistrate had directed Juhu police in December 2020 to conduct an inquiry into Akhtar’s allegations and initiated criminal proceedings against the actor.

Ranaut had challenged the process in Bombay high court, which dismissed her petition in the first week of September.