In a detailed order rejecting actor Kangana Ranaut’s plea for permanent exemption from attending legal proceedings in the Javed Akhtar defamation case, a city court held that despite being a celebrity with professional assignments, she cannot forget that she was an accused in the case. It also noted that till date, she has not appeared with an intent to cooperate and is ‘dictating her own terms’.

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Mumbai: In a detailed order rejecting actor Kangana Ranaut’s plea seeking permanent exemption from attending legal proceedings in a defamation case against her by Bollywood veteran Javed Akhtar, a magistrate’s court held that no doubt, being a celebrity, she had professional assignments, but she cannot forget that she was an accused in the case.

The court said that till date she has not appeared with an intent to cooperate with it for the trial.

“The accused is dictating her own terms for the trial of this case in the manner she likes. Admittedly, the accused cannot claim permanent exemption as of right. The accused has to follow the established procedure of law and terms and conditions of her bail bonds…” metropolitan magistrate RR Khan said.

“If accused is permanently exempted at this juncture the complainant, a senior citizen (Akhtar), will be seriously prejudiced and there will be no progress in the trial,” the magistrate added.

In a 15-page order, the magistrate said that so far the court had approved all her exemption pleas without imposing cost and no coercive orders were passed despite her repeated absence.

“If at this juncture the accused is allowed to remain absent permanently, her earlier conduct furnishes an assurance that she will never ever attend this court for framing of particulars and further trial,” the court said.

The court assured her that she will be exempted on specific situations if needed by consent of both sides.

Akhtar’s defamation complaint was submitted in November 2020 before the Andheri magistrate’s court. Akhtar’s plea had said he was shocked when he learnt on July 19, 2020, that Ranaut had given an interview to a news channel, damaging his “immaculate reputation by falsely attributing statements to him”.

Ranaut had moved a plea in March 2021 seeking permanent exemption and said that she would remain present when essential.

Her lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee had submitted that she is one of the top-most actresses of the Hindi film industry and needed to travel to different locations in India and abroad. Akhtar’s lawyer Jay Bhardwaj said it was an attempt to prolong the matter.