The Bombay High Court has adjourned the defamation case filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar against actor Kangana Ranaut till September 14. Kangana had filed a plea through her counsel Rizwan Siddiquee last month in which she challenged the defamation proceedings initiated earlier this year, saying the magistrate’s court had failed to apply its mind to the case. Ranaut had said the magistrate’s court did not independently examine the complainant or the witnesses named in the complaint against her.
In a counter-affidavit filed in the HC, Akhtar said, through his lawyers NK Bharadwaj and associates, that the metropolitan magistrate’s court in suburban Andheri had followed a due process in launching the criminal defamation proceedings against Ranaut.
Akhtar had filed a criminal complaint against Ranaut in November last year before the Andheri metropolitan magistrate alleging that she made defamatory and baseless comments against him in a television interview given to a senior journalist.
In December 2020, the court directed the Juhu police to conduct an inquiry into Akhtar’s complaint against Ranaut.
The police subsequently informed the court that an offence of defamation, as alleged by Akhtar against the actor, was prima facie made out, and further probe is required.
The court then initiated criminal proceedings against Ranaut and issued summons to her in February this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
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