[Javed Akhtar defamation case] Mumbai court warns Kangana Ranaut of arrest warrant in case of non-appearance

A Mumbai Court on Tuesday reprimanded Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for failure to appear before it in the criminal defamation complaint filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar for Ranaut's statements made during interview aired by Republic TV with Arnab Goswami..Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate RR Khan warned that if Ranaut is not present for hearing on the next date, an arrest warrant will be issued against her. The Court then proceeded to allow Ranaut's plea for exemption from appearance for today's hearing.The Magistrate had during an earlier hearing granted Ranaut one last chance to appear clarifying that a bailable warrant will be issued against her if she fails to appear..Advocate Jay Bharadwaj and Priya Arora appearing for Akhtar, opposed Ranaut's application and sought issuance of bailable warrant since Ranaut had not appeared on a single date so far.Bharadwaj also pointed out that the Bombay High Court had dismissed Ranaut's plea challenging the defamation proceedings. .Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee Ranaut submitted that Ranaut had been promoting her film for the past two weeks and was showing symptoms of COVID. He pleaded to the Court to grant her exemption for today so that she can get herself tested.He added that in the event the tests are positive, he would once again approach the Court for exemption with her medical report. .Opposing such contentions, Bharadwaj informed the Court that Ranaut had not been granted protection or an order of stay on the present proceedings from any higher court. The complainant, Akhtar, on the other hand had appeared on every single date. He prayed for issuance of warrant stating these were only tactics by Ranaut to delay the proceedings..Akhtar had moved the Magistrate court against Ranaut claiming that her statements aired by Republic TV amounted to the offence of criminal defamation under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.As per Akhtar's complaint, Ranaut had, during her interview with Republic TV Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami, allegedly commented that Akhtar was part of a "Bollywood suicide gang" who could "get away with anything"..Ranaut had challenged the same before the Sessions Court at Dindoshi, Mumbai which was dismissed by the Court..Ranaut has also filed an application for permanent exemption from appearance in the defamation proceedings which is pending and will be considered on the next date of hearing which is September 20, 2021.