HC reserves order on Ranaut’s plea against court action
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) reserved its orders on the appeal filed by actor Kangana Ranaut against the criminal proceedings initiated by the Andheri magistrate court based on the defamation complaint filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar.
The actor’s counsel argued that the magistrate had not followed proper procedure and had initiated the proceedings based solely on Akhtar’s complaint and the police report without hearing her. However Akhtar’s counsel argued that the magistrate had three options to initiate criminal proceedings and after viewing the interview in which the actor had made the defamatory comments had rightly initiated the proceedings.
The single judge bench of justice Revati Mohite-dere, while hearing Ranaut’s appeal, was informed by advocate Rizwan Siddiquee that the appeal sought setting aside of the criminal proceedings ordered by the magistrate as well as the complaint by Akhtar. Akhtar had approached the magistrate court last year alleging that Ranaut’s defamatory comments against him on national television had maligned his character and tarnished his reputation which he had painsmagistrate. takingly garnered over 50 years.
The magistrate court at Andheri initiated proceedings against Ranaut in February and issued a bailable warrant in March after Ranaut did not attend the summons issued by the magistrate. The actor had then appeared and applied for bail, which was granted by the In her appeal in HC, Ranaut challenged the proceeding initiated by the magistrate and said that the magistrate had not followed the procedure as laid down under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC). Ranaut sought a stay on the magistrate court proceedings and a declaration to term as illegal the signed statements of witnesses collected by the police. After hearing both sides, the court concluded the hearing and reserved its order on the appeal.
Meanwhile, Andheri magistrate adjourned hearing of defamation suit filed by Akhtar to September 14 and gave Ranaut last chance to appear before it.