‘Arrest warrant will be issued against Kangana Ranaut if she again skips the next hearing,’ says the court

It looks like the legal troubles are mounting for Kangana Ranaut who has again failed to appear before a Mumbai court in a criminal defamation complaint filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar. The court has now said that an arrest warrant will be issued against the actress if she again skips the hearing for the case on the next date, September 20. Also Read – Is Bigg Boss OTT contestant Urfi Javed related to lyricist Javed Akhtar? Shabani Azmi clears the air

As the matter came up for hearing, Kangana’s lawyer Rizwan Siddique sought that she be exempted from appearance for the day as she was not keeping well. The lawyer submitted a medical certificate before the court and said the actor has been traveling for the promotion of her film and has developed COVID-19 symptoms. Also Read – From Salman Khan not being Bajrangi Bhaijaan’s first choice to when Deepika Padukone was upset with Amitabh Bachchan? – Bollywood’s best kept secrets that will make you go hawww

However, Akhtar’s lawyer Jay Bharadwaj said this is an orchestrated tactic to delay the case proceedings. The lyricist’s lawyer further said Kangana has refused to appear before the court for one reason or the other since summons were issued to her in February this year. Also Read – Farhan Akhtar SLAMS trolls for attacking his family; says, ‘Never wrestle with a pig’

After hearing the submissions, metropolitan magistrate R R Khan allowed Kangana to be exempted from appearance for the day. He then posted the matter for hearing on September 20. The magistrate said if the actor fails to appear on the next hearing, a warrant will be issued against her.

Last Thursday, the Bombay High Court dismissed a plea filed by Kangana seeking the 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 Andheri metropolitan magistrate’s order initiating the proceedings.

Akhtar (76) filed a complaint in the magistrate’s court in November last year, claiming that Kangana had made defamatory statements against him in a television interview, which allegedly damaged his reputation. In his complaint, Akhtar claimed that Kangana dragged his name during an interview while referring to a ‘coterie’ existing in Bollywood, following the alleged suicide committed by actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year.

(With PTI Inputs)

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