Mumbai court declines immediate stay on Kangana Ranaut’s case against Javed Akhtar

The Mumbai Sessions Court at Dindoshi has declined to grant an immediate interim stay on the proceedings in the criminal intimidation case filed by actor Kangana Ranaut on lyricist Javed Akhtar. The court said that it requires hearing arguments from both parties before making a decision on the stay.

Javed Akhtar, represented by advocate Jay Bharadwaj, filed a plea challenging the order of issuance of process against him by the Andheri Magistrate Court. The plea argued that there was a ‘lack of application of judicial mind’ in the case based on Kangana Ranaut’s complaint.

During the hearing, Advocates Vrinda Grover and Bharadwaj requested an interim stay on the proceedings. However, the request was opposed by Kangana Ranaut’s lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee, who said that he can show the case’s lack of merit with a brief five-minute argument.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Aqeel Zamir Khan acknowledged the request for a stay but emphasised the need to hear arguments from both sides before reaching a decision on the matter. Considering the judge’s busy schedule, he set a date for the brief presentation of arguments on August 24.

Kangana Ranaut, Javed Akhtar involved in complaints, counter-complaints

The case revolves around a complaint filed by Kangana Ranaut against Javed Akhtar concerning a meeting that occurred between them in March 2016. Subsequently, the Andheri Magistrate court issued a summons to Akhtar on August 1, requesting his appearance before the court on August 5, which he could not attend due to prior travel commitments.

In 2016, Kangana Ranaut was publicly embroiled in a dispute with alleged former lover Hrithik Roshan. As Javed Akhtar was close to the Roshan family, he arranged a meeting with Ranaut, allegedly urging her to apologise to the ‘Krrish’ actor.

In 2021, during a televised interview, Kangana Ranaut described the meeting and said that the lyricist tried to ‘extort’ an apology, which Javed Akhtar found defamatory, leading him to take legal action against her.

Ranaut filed a counter-complaint against Akhtar, prompting the court to issue a process against him under Sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.