A Mumbai court has issued a bailable warrant against Kangana Ranaut in the Javed Akhtar defamation case. She was slapped with the warrant as she failed to appear before the court despite being summoned.
Javed Akhtar filed a case against Kangana for defaming him during an interview to a news channel. Ranaut was asked to appear before the court on March 1, in connection with the case, however she failed to show up.
While Akhtar’s lawyer wanted the court to issue a non-bailable warrant against her, the court felt it would be ‘a harsh step’. The magistrate court has issued a bailable warrant of Rs. 10,000 for ‘willful absence’.
Kangana’s advocate Rizwan Siddique wants to challenge the entire proceedings of the magistrate court before a higher court and seek a stay. However, the magistrate court said that in the ‘absence of any orders from higher courts’, her remaining absent despite receipt of summons ‘shows her conduct.’ The Court noted that the actress had the option to file an exempt application however, she didn’t opt for that either.
During an interview to a news channel, after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, Kangana had said on national TV that Akhtar is a part of a coterie in Bollywood that works against outsiders. Post her interview, Akhtar filed a criminal defamation case against her.
The next hearing is on March 26.
