Mumbai, Sep 20 (UNI) Kangana Ranaut on Monday filed a counter complaint in response to a defamation case brought against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar.
The actress accused Akhtar of extortion and criminal intimidation.
Ranaut also filed a plea asking for the case to be transferred to another court because she had lost faith in Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate R R Khan who was hearing the matter.
In November, Akhtar had filed the defamation case against Ranaut for the remarks she made about him during a TV interview while discussing actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
Ranaut had reportedly told during interviews that Akhtar was part of a “suicide gang” and that “he can get away with pretty much anything in Mumbai”.
During the last hearing on September 14, the magistrate court had said it would issue a warrant against Ranaut if she does not appear in person for Monday’s proceedings.
On Monday, Ranaut appeared for the hearing but the proceedings could not be held as she filed the transfer petition. This was the first time she appeared for a hearing in the case since she was summoned by the court in February.
Advocate Rizwan Siddique submitted that Ranaut had lost faith in the court after its warning.
“Why is she required in a bailable and compoundable and non-cognisable offence?” Siddique argued,
“But this court has said on multiple occasions that a warrant will be issued against her, so she is not comfortable with this court,” he added.
Siddique said that he had filed the transfer plea before the chief metropolitan magistrate who will hear the petition on October 1.
In her counter complaint against Akhtar, Ranaut has alleged that during her feud with actor Hrithik Roshan, Akhtar called her and her sister Rangoli Chandel to his home with “malafide intention and ulterior motive.”
Ranaut also alleged that Akhtar “criminally intimidated” her and asked her to apologise to Roshan. The complaint includes Sections 383, 384 (extortion), 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion), 503 and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
After hearing Siddique’s submissions, the magistrate court adjourned the matter till November 15 even as Akhtar’s lawyers argued that the transfer plea and counter complaint were “bizarre” techniques to delay the proceedings.
UNI SP KAZ SHK1943