A metropolitan magistrate’s court Thursday rejected an application filed by actor Kangana Ranaut seeking transfer of ongoing proceedings against her filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar. Last month, Ranaut had filed a transfer plea before the metropolitan magistrate’s court stating that the case be reallocated before another judge at the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate’s court as she has “lost faith” in it. Akhtar, through his lawyer Jay Bharadwaj, had opposed Ranaut’s plea stating that while the Andheri court had issued the process against her in February observing that a prima facie case of defamation was made out, her “wilful absence” had delayed the case and “caused further harassment” to Akhtar. He also added that while Ranaut had challenged the Andheri court’s order issuing process against her before the Bombay High Court, the latter had upheld the procedure followed. Ranaut’s lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui in his transfer plea had said that while the offences against her are cognizable, compoundable and bailable, an arrest warrant was issued against her. The matter relates to interviews given by Ranaut after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Akhtar claims that Ranaut had defamed him during an interview.
