Bombay High Court rejects Kangana Ranaut's plea for defamation case by Javed Akhtar

The Bombay High Court has dismissed the plea filed by actor Kangana Ranaut seeking a stay on the trial related to a defamation complaint filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar. The court also rejected her request to combine this case with the cross-complaint she filed against Akhtar.

Justice Prakash Naik presiding over the case stated that the relief sought by Kangana cannot be granted at this stage. He emphasized that Kangana had never argued that the cases were cross-cases, and since Javed Akhtar's complaint was filed first, the proceedings cannot be stayed or combined.

The defamation case initiated by Javed Akhtar against Kangana is currently ongoing before a Magistrate in Andheri. However, Kangana's complaint against Akhtar had been put on hold by the Sessions Court.
In her writ petition, Kangana asserted that both cases originated from a meeting in 2016 and, therefore, should be tried together. However, the court ruled against her plea, stating that it was never previously contended by Kangana that both cases are cross-cases.

The background of the legal dispute dates back to 2020 when Javed Akhtar filed a complaint against Kangana after she accused him of threatening her during an interview. The allegation arose amidst Kangana's public feud with Hrithik Roshan over their alleged affair.

In response, Kangana filed a counter complaint against Javed Akhtar, accusing him of "extortion and criminal intimidation." She claimed that Akhtar had called her and her sister Rangoli to his house with malicious intentions, criminally intimidating and threatening her. The legal proceedings are expected to continue as the two parties navigate the complexities of the defamation case.