The Bombay High Court, on Friday, rejected the plea made by actor Kangana Ranaut, seeking a stay on the proceedings related to a defamation complaint filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar. Justice P D Naik, presiding over a single bench, pointed out that the trial for the defamation complaint had already begun, rendering the sought relief inappropriate at this juncture.
Kangana Ranaut had filed a petition in the high court last month, urging a halt to Akhtar’s criminal defamation complaint filed in 2020. She also requested that the case be considered in conjunction with the counter-complaint she subsequently filed against Akhtar.
Justice P D Naik, in the court’s verdict, emphasized that the trial for Akhtar’s complaint was already in progress. He noted that Ranaut’s application came at a belated stage, considering the ongoing proceedings and the fact that Akhtar’s complaint had been lodged first, with a notice already issued. The court concluded that given the factual context, no relief could be granted to Ranaut.
While the defamation case filed by Akhtar against Ranaut continues before the magistrate in Andheri, the sessions court has stayed Ranaut’s complaint against the lyricist.
Ranaut, in her petition, asserted that both cases originated from a meeting between her and Akhtar in 2016. Consequently, she argued that the cases should be tried together due to their shared genesis. However, the court’s ruling rejects the plea for a stay, emphasizing the ongoing nature of Akhtar’s defamation complaint and its precedence in the legal process.
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