Court accepts Javed Akhtar’s complaint against Kangana, issues summons to actor

Akhtar has alleged in his complaint that the actor claimed he had threatened her to withdraw her case against actor Hrithik Roshan

A metropolitan magistrate court at Andheri on Monday issued summons to actor Kangana Ranaut on lyricist Javed Akhtar’s complaint that she made defamatory comments against him during an interview.

Javed Akhtar. (File photo)

The writer-poet had approached the magistrate court in November last year. On December 3, his statement was recorded by the magistrate under the process of verification of the complaint. Later, the court directed the Juhu Police to hold an enquiry and submit their report before it on the allegations made by Akhtar.

On Monday, the Juhu Police filed its report, following which, the court ordered Ranaut to appear before it on March 1.

Akhtar, through his lawyer Niranjan Mundargi, had filed a private complaint against the actor under Section 499 (Defamation) and Section 500 (punishment for defamation) of Indian Penal Code.

He has claimed that he has been in the industry for more than 25 years and Ranaut has defamed him during one television interview, claiming that he threatened her to withdraw case against Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan.

It is contended that Ranaut has called him a part of the ‘suicide gang’ and that he threatened her, allegedly saying if she didn’t back out, she will have no option but to die by suicide. Akhtar said because of such comments, he received so many calls and messages, criticising him and he was trolled on social media. He claimed that such comments caused damage to his reputation.