A Mumbai court on Tuesday granted actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut “one last chance” before issuing a non-bailable warrant against her, as she skipped a mediation meeting to settle the long-standing defamation case between her and Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar.
The actor, through her advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, informed the Bandra court that she was attending Parliament, which prevented her from appearing.
However, advocate Jay K Bhardwaj, appearing for Akhtar, filed an application seeking the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against Ranaut to ensure her presence. Bhardwaj pointed out that Ranaut had been absent on nearly 40 key dates when she was required to be present in court.
The court directed Ranaut’s counsel to file a reply to the application, and the advocate opposed the issuance of the warrant. However, the Magistrate decided to give Ranaut one “last chance” before proceeding with the warrant.
The legal battle between Ranaut and Akhtar stems from a meeting held at Akhtar’s residence in March 2016. At the time, Ranaut and actor Hrithik Roshan were in the news over exchanged emails, which had escalated into a public spat. Akhtar, reportedly close to the Roshans, took it upon himself to hold a meeting with Ranaut and allegedly asked her to apologise to Roshan.
Ranaut did not respond immediately. However, in 2020, following actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s alleged suicide, Ranaut described the 2016 meeting with Akhtar during a televised interview. Akhtar found the interview defamatory and subsequently filed a defamation complaint against Ranaut.
The legal dispute intensified when Ranaut filed a counter-complaint against Akhtar, alleging that he attempted to coerce her into apologising under undue pressure. This proceeding against Akhtar has since been stayed by the Dindoshi Sessions Court.
In December 2024, both Ranaut and Akhtar had decided to opt for mediation. However, this has not yet taken place and was scheduled for Tuesday. While Akhtar appeared before the Magistrate’s court, Ranaut was occupied with parliamentary duties and could not attend.