Renowned Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar has been summoned by a Magistrate court in Mumbai following a complaint filed by actor Kangana Ranaut under Sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insult to the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. The court has ordered Akhtar to appear on August 5 in response to the complaint.
This legal battle between Akhtar and Ranaut began after he filed a defamation complaint against her in 2021, stemming from an interview where Ranaut made certain allegations against Akhtar, claiming he had pressured her to apologize to actor Hrithik Roshan during their public feud over some emails in 2016.
The proceedings of Akhtar’s complaint against Ranaut have reached a stage where witnesses are being called for their depositions. On Monday, Dr. Ramesh Agarwal, a doctor for Akhtar, Ranaut, and the Roshans, stood as a witness before the 10th Magistrate’s court. Agarwal testified that Akhtar had approached him to mediate the issue between Roshan and Ranaut and suggested a settlement between the two parties. He further stated that he was present at the meeting held in March 2016, where Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel were also present.
When asked about the alleged defamatory words spoken during the meeting, Agarwal clarified that he had not heard any such words as he was a little away from them and on phone calls with patients at the time. He recalled that the meeting lasted around 20-30 minutes, and before leaving, Akhtar told Ranaut, “Aapko maafi mangni padegi,” implying that she would have to apologize, as mentioned in a report by India Today.
In cross-examination, Ranaut’s counsel, Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, questioned Agarwal about whether the actor had asked him or Akhtar to mediate in her dispute with Roshan. Agarwal denied any such request from Ranaut.
The court’s proceedings shed light on the ongoing legal battle between the two prominent figures in the entertainment industry, and it remains to be seen how the case will unfold in the coming days.
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