Bollywood actor and Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament (MP) Kangana Ranaut on Friday appeared before a special court in connection with a defamation case filed against her by veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar.
The special magistrate court, designated to adjudicate cases involving MPs and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), recorded her presence in the afternoon.
The defamation suit, initiated in 2020, arose from statements made by Ranaut in a televised interview, in which Akhtar alleges she made remarks that tarnished his reputation. Initially, the case was under the jurisdiction of a magistrate court in Andheri, a suburban district of Mumbai.
Following Ranaut’s election as an MP from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, in 2024, the proceedings were transferred to the special magistrate court designated for cases concerning elected representatives.
During the previous hearing, Akhtar’s legal counsel petitioned the court for the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against Ranaut due to her absence. The court, granting her a final opportunity to appear, required her presence at the subsequent hearing, leading to her compliance on Friday.
Further developments in the case are pending.
Akhtar’s complaint asserts that Ranaut, while discussing the alleged existence of a ‘coterie’ within the Bollywood industry, referenced him in connection with the controversy surrounding the purported suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
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