Kangana Ranaut Approaches Bombay HC For Stay On Defamation Case Filed Against Her By Javed Akhtar, Seeks For It To Be Heard With Her Cross-Complaint

Actor Kangana Ranaut has approached the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the criminal defamation case filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar in 2020 and further prayed for the case to be heard along with the cross-complaint she subsequently filed against him.

While the defamation case Akhtar filed against Ranaut is ongoing before the Magistrate in Andheri, Kangana's complaint against Akhtar was stayed by the Sessions Court.

In her writ petition, the Actor stated that both cases had their genesis in a meeting in 2016 therefore they should be tried together.

“It is pertinent to note that the cases filed by the Petitioner and the Respondent No. 2 against each other are both cross cases arising out of the same incident which occurred in the month of March 2016 and were therefore clubbed together so that they could be heard and tried simultaneously by the same Learned Magistrate,” the plea states.

On November 3, Javed Akhtar filed a complaint before the Magistrate alleging that Ranaut defamed and damaged his "immaculate reputation" by dragging his name into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death in her interview with Republic TV Anchor Arnab Goswami, on July 19, 2020.

She is currently facing trial under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

In 2021, Ranaut hit back by filing a counter-complaint against Akhtar in the same Mumbai court, alleging criminal intimidation and insult to modesty under Sections 506 and 509 of the IPC based on the 2016 incident. During the 2016 meeting, Kangana alleges that Akhtar criminally intimidated her demanding she apologize to a co-star.

The Mumbai court took cognizance of Ranaut's complaint and issued summons to Akhtar. He challenged this order in Sessions Court, which stayed proceedings against Ranaut's complaint until the disposal of his revision petition.

Meanwhile, Akhtar's defamation case against the actress is still ongoing in the Mumbai magistrate court.

In her writ petition filed through Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, Ranaut has argued that both cross-complaints arise from the same 2016 incident and must be tried simultaneously to avoid prejudice against her.

The actress has sought an urgent stay on Akhtar's defamation proceedings so that both cases can be heard together.

The matter will be heard by the bench headed by Justice Revati Mohite Dere on January 9, 2024.