Defamation case: Court likely to pronounce order on Kangana Ranaut’s plea today

Javed Akhtar, in his complaint, alleged that Ranaut had made several defamatory statements about him in an interview given to a news channel in July 2020, alleging that the 76-year-old writer/lyricist runs a “suicide gang”

The Dindoshi sessions court is likely to pass an order on a plea by Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for suspension of proceedings in the criminal defamation case filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar on Monday.

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut. (PTI)

Ranaut had moved the sessions court through her lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee after the metropolitan magistrate court at Andheri had issued a bailable warrant against her.

Ranaut had contended before the sessions court that mandatory compliance of the Criminal Procedure Code was not followed in the matter, as the four witnesses named by Akhtar in his complaint have not been examined on oath.

A metropolitan magistrate court had, on March 1, issued a bailable warrant against Ranaut for failing to appear for a hearing. The court had on February 1 issued summons to Ranaut to appear before the court on March 1. The actor failed to appear in person but her lawyer, Siddiquee, appeared on her behalf.

For non-appearance of the actress, Akhtar’s legal team sought a bailable warrant against the actress.

Akhtar, in his complaint, alleged that Ranaut had made several defamatory statements about him in an interview given to a news channel in July 2020, alleging that the 76-year-old writer/lyricist runs a “suicide gang” in Bollywood and he “threatened her to settle her dispute with actor Hrithik Roshan”, failing which she will be compelled to commit suicide.

Akhtar has said that her claims are entirely false and the statements have harmed his reputation.