Defamation Case: Javed Akhtar Accuses Kangana Ranaut of ‘Trying to Delay Proceedings’

Lyricist Javed Akhtar responded to a petition by actor Kangana Ranaut before the Bombay High Court, seeking to stay proceedings in a defamation case filed against her by Akhtar.

Akhtar asserted that Ranaut filed the petition merely to delay the proceedings in the defamation case.

Ranaut approached the High Court through advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, seeking a stay on the trial arising from Akhtar’s complaint. She argued that both her complaint and Akhtar’s complaint stemmed from the same incident and should be tried together to avoid conflicting judgments.

Akhtar opposed the petition, filing an affidavit drafted by advocate Jay Bharadwaj, stating that there was no basis for Ranaut to invoke the writ jurisdiction of the High Court. He argued that Ranaut’s petition was filed to delay proceedings before the Andheri magistrate.

The affidavit emphasized that Ranaut’s petition was based on assumptions, presumptions, and unwarranted optimism about the proceedings in the lower courts. Akhtar pointed out that the prayer in Ranaut’s petition before the High Court was vague and untenable.

When the High Court took up the matter, Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande directed the High Court registry to verify whether the matter should be heard by a single bench or a division bench.

In 2020, Akhtar had filed a defamation complaint against Ranaut, objecting to certain remarks she made in an interview on Republic TV regarding a 2016 meeting between them. Ranaut filed a cross-complaint against Akhtar, alleging criminal conspiracy, extortion, and outraging her modesty.

On July 24, 2023, a magistrate court at Andheri dropped the charge of extortion against Akhtar but summoned him to appear in connection with offences under Sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insult to modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Akhtar filed a revision plea challenging the summons order before the Sessions Court at Dindoshi.

The sessions judge stayed the order and the criminal proceedings arising from Ranaut’s complaint until the revision application filed by Akhtar is finally heard. Citing this development, Ranaut approached the High Court seeking a stay on criminal proceedings arising from Akhtar’s complaint as well.