For Kangana, big setback in court in case vs Javed Akhtar

Actor Kangana Ranaut's request to cancel defamation case filed by poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar was rejected by the Bombay High Court this morning.

With the high court refusing relief, the 34-year-old actor has been to appear before the Metropolitan Magistrate's court next week on Tuesday (September 14).

The court in Mumbai had asked her to be present over the defamation case - filed against her by former Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar - last week (September 1). But the hearing was delayed as she had moved the High Court.

The court had warned at a previous hearing that if the actor was not present in the court in the next hearing, a warrant would be issued against her.

Her lawyer Rizwan Siddique had told the High Court that the Metropolitan Magistrate had "mechanically ordered the enquiry against her under section 202(1) of the CrPC without assigning reasons". Also, he said, that Mr Akhtar's witnesses were not examined under oath.

Javed Ahktar's lawyer Jay Bharadwaj sought dismissal of the plea, saying that "the magistrate had applied his mind to direct an inquiry after examining Akhtar's complaint".

The 76-year-old seasoned writer and poet had filed a criminal complaint against Kangana Ranaut in November last year before the Andheri metropolitan magistrate, alleging that she made defamatory and baseless comments against him in a television interview.

Source: NDTV