Kangana's sole intention is to delay court proceedings, Akhtar tells HC

Mumbai: Lyricist Javed Akhtar has told the Bombay High Court that the petition filed by actress Kangana Ranaut before the court to quash criminal defamation proceedings initiated by him against her, is with sole intention of delaying the defamation proceedings before the magistrate court.

Ranaut has approached the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the criminal defamation proceedings initiated by Javed Akhtar against her in Andheri Magistrate court.

Ranaut's petition came up for hearing before Justice Revati Mohite-Dere in which she has sought quashing of the entire proceedings initiated by the Magistrate arising from Akhtar's complaint which would include all the orders, summons, issued till date on the ground that the same is a direct consequence of cognisance taken by the Magistrate.

Ranaut has filed the petition on the ground that the Magistrate was duty bound to examine the complainant and the witnesses named in the complaint on oath as per section 202 of the CrPC instead of simply directing the Juhu police, Mumbai to conduct an inquiry on the Magistrate's behalf.

Akhtar on the other hand through advocate Jay Bharadwaj opposed her petition contending that the Magistrate had passed the issuance order after considering the evidence placed before him.

He further argued that section 200 CrPC called for examination of the complainant on oath and of the witness only if there were any present.

According to Akhtar's lawyer, orders of the Magistrate including the issuance of process and warrant doesn't require the high court's interference. 

Advocate Bharadwaj pointed out to the court that Ranaut has not been appearing before the Magistrate court in Andheri for the last five dates on one pretext or the other. He filed an affidavit in reply to the petition claiming that the present Petition is filed with the sole intent to delay the proceedings without there being any basis.

Akhtar has filed a defamation suit against Ranaut on the basis that she named him in her in an interview to a news channel after death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.