New Delhi: Actor Kangana Ranaut appeared before a Mumbai court on Monday, September 20, in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar, and said she had “lost faith” in the magistrate’s court, claiming it has “indirectly threatened” her by saying that it would issue a warrant if she failed to appear before it in a bailable offence.
Ranaut also moved a counter complaint in the court against Akhtar for alleged “extortion and criminal intimidation”.
Bar and Bench has reported that the counter complaint was filed under sections 383, 384 (extortion), 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion), 503 and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Her lawyer informed the court that they had filed an application before chief metropolitan magistrate, seeking transfer of hearing into the complaint to another court.
Akhtar’s lawyer Jay Bharadwaj has called Ranaut’s plea for transfer of complaint to another court as “extremely bizarre” and said that Ranaut’s side has not given notice or a copy of the transfer application to them.
The court had last week said it will issue a warrant against Ranaut if she fails to appear on the next date of hearing, September 20.
Ranaut appeared before Andheri metropolitan magistrate R.R. Khan for the first time since summons was issued to her in February this year, and completed bail formalities.
As the matter came up for hearing, her lawyer Rizwan Siddique told that court that Ranaut does not want to proceed with this court (in connection with the complaint).
Siddique said they have “lost faith in the court as it seems to be biased”.
“The court has indirectly threatened her of issuing a warrant on two occasions in a non-cognisable, compoundable and bailable offence, where as per law regular presence is not required,” the lawyer claimed.
“Ranaut has been called before the court without any cause or reason,” he said.
The court will hear the matter next on November 15.
Earlier this month, the Bombay high Court dismissed a plea filed by Ranaut seeking quashing of proceedings initiated against her by the local court on the criminal defamation complaint filed by Akhtar.
Justice Revati Mohite-Dere had said in the order that there was no procedural illegality or irregularity in the metropolitan magistrate’s order initiating the proceedings.
Akhtar had filed the complaint in the court in November last year, claiming Ranaut had made defamatory statements against him in a television interview.
In his complaint, Akhtar claimed that Ranaut dragged his name during an interview while referring to a ‘coterie’ existing in Bollywood, following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year.
She had also claimed that Akhtar had threatened her to not speak about her alleged relationship with actor Hrithik Roshan, Akhtar’s complaint said. He added in his complaint that these statements made by Kangana had garnered views in lakhs and thus tarnished Akhtar’s reputation.
(With PTI inputs)
