Legal twist: Kangana Ranaut’s summons to Javed Akhtar stayed

In a significant development in the defamation case filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar against actress Kangana Ranaut, the legal proceedings have taken a new turn. Kangana Ranaut’s legal team had earlier summoned Javed Akhtar to appear before the Andheri court on August 30 in the defamation case. However, Javed Akhtar’s legal team moved to the Dindoshi court, which has temporarily stayed the summons until the next date of hearing.

As a result, Javed Akhtar will not be required to appear before the Andheri court, with the next hearing scheduled for October 18. This development comes after a sessions court on August 8 had instructed Kangana Ranaut to file a reply to Javed Akhtar’s application challenging the summons issued to him by a magistrate’s court in a case initiated by the actress.

Javed Akhtar had filed a complaint in 2020, alleging that Kangana Ranaut had made defamatory statements against him during a television interview, damaging his reputation. Ranaut had mentioned Akhtar’s name while referring to a ‘coterie’ in Bollywood, following the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020.

Akhtar’s revision petition before the sessions court argued that the summons had been issued by the metropolitan magistrate’s court in Andheri hastily and inappropriately, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. The plea maintained that there was insufficient material available with the magistrate for such an order, and the complaint’s allegations did not apply to the petitioner.

The legal battle between Javed Akhtar and Kangana Ranaut continues, with further proceedings expected in October.

Also Read: Mumbai court drops extortion charge against Javed Akhtar filed by Kangana Ranaut