"Kangana Ranaut Seeks Bombay High Court Stay on Defamation Case by Javed Akhtar"

 "A team of judges, including Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande, might listen to the request on January 9."

Kangana Ranaut, Javed Akhtar, Bombay High Court image source (BarandBanch)

Kangana Ranaut has requested the Bombay High Court to pause the trial linked to a complaint by Javed Akhtar, alleging defamation against her.

A bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande is expected to review the petition on January 9.

Akhtar lodged a complaint against Ranaut due to certain remarks she made during an interview broadcasted on Republic TV. These remarks were related to a meeting between them in 2016.

Simultaneously, Ranaut filed a counter-complaint against Akhtar, accusing him of criminal conspiracy, extortion, and invading her privacy.

On July 24, 2023, a magistrate court in Andheri dismissed the extortion charge against Akhtar but summoned him regarding offenses under Sections 506 and 509 of the IPC. 

Akhtar challenged the summons before the Sessions Court at Dindoshi. The sessions judge halted the proceedings arising from Ranaut's complaint until Akhtar's appeal is heard.

Ranaut has now approached the High Court through advocate Jay Bharadwaj, seeking to halt the trial resulting from Akhtar's complaint. She argues that both complaints stem from the same incident and should be tried together to avoid conflicting judgments.

Her plea highlights that while proceedings from her complaint have been stayed, those from Akhtar's complaint continue, which she considers unjust and contrary to established principles of natural justice.

The plea, represented by Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, emphasizes that Ranaut's case is crucial in uncovering the truth, asserting that both cases should be paused until Akhtar's appeal is resolved to ensure fairness in the legal process.