Kangana Ranaut Files Complaint Against Javed Akhtar Alleging Extortion & Criminal Intimidation

On 20th September 2021, Actor Kangana Ranaut appeared before Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in the defamation proceedings filed against her by poet lyricist Javed Akhtar.?

She made an appearance in the court days after the court said an arrest warrant would be issued against her if she didn’t appear before it.?

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According to a report in Indian Express, Ranaut’s lawyer, Rizwan Siddiqui, later informed the court that she had filed a transfer application before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, seeking that the case is reassigned to another court.

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In his plea, Siddiqui said that her client Kangana has “lost faith” in the matter's court hearing.?

Siddiqui also mentioned that Kangana had filed a counter-complaint of Akhtar alleging extortion and criminal intimidation. In her appeal, Kangana has urged the court to look into the original complaint filed by Akhtar and her counter-complaint to be transferred.

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In his argument, Siddiqui mentioned that the offense alleged against her is non-cognizable, compoundable, and available, but still, the court has been ‘issuing threats indirectly.'

From reminding how the court had earlier threatened Kangana with an arrest warrant for non-appearance, he also argued that her regular presence on each date was not even mandatory in such an offense.?

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A TOI report states that Ranaut’s plea against Akhtar said,?

“The said accused (Akhtar) even dared to force me then to tender a written apology to my said co-star (Roshan), thus, forcefully seeking to create a document (valuable security) in favor of my co-star.”?

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Akhtar’s lawyer Jay Bharadwaj informed the court that in retaliation to his client's defamation case, Ranaut used to find new ground to delay the matter, and the court had followed all the procedures as per law.?

The Andheri metropolitan court has now decided to hear the case only after the transfer applications are decided.?

The court has posted the hearing for November 15. The Chief Metropolitan magistrate’s court will listen to the hearing on the transfer plea on October 1.