Actor Kangana Ranaut could be sent an arrest warrant from the court if she fails to be present during the next hearing in the defamation case filed by lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar. The actor has not been present in the last eight hearings and in the previous hearing, and Akhtar’s lawyer Jay Bhanushali sought a warrant against her.

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Mumbai court on Tuesday allowed Kangana’s plea seeking exemption from personal appearance for the day in a defamation case filed by noted lyricist and said it will issue a warrant against her if she fails to appear on the next date of hearing on September 20. Kangana, through her counsel Rizwan Siddiquee, submitted a medical certificate before the court and said that she had been traveling for the promotion of her film and “developed COVID-19 symptoms”. 

Here is the timeline of the case 

On November 2, 2020, Javed Akhtar filed defamation case against Kangana Ranaut in Andheri Magistrate Court for making “baseless allegations” against him in an interview to a senior journalist after actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai home in June.

In the interview, Kangana had alleged that Javed Akhtar asked her to apologise to Hrithik Roshan, who in 2016 filed a lawsuit against the actress, asking her to apologise for damaging his reputation through the “silly ex” statement.

On December 3, 2020, Javed Akhtar recorded his statement through his lawyer before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in connection with the complaint of defamation filed by him against Kangana Ranaut. As part of the process, he submitted his statement via his counsel before the magistrate for verification of the complaint.

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On December 19, 2020, the metropolitan magistrate court directed police to investigate Akhtar’s complaint of defamation against Kangana. The Magistrate court directed Juhu police to conduct an inquiry into the allegations made in the complaint and submit a report by January 16.

On January 16, 2021, Mumbai Police got time till February 1 to report on Akhtar’s defamation complaint

On February 1, 2021, Kangana was issued a summon by the magistrate court after Mumbai police informed it that an offence of defamation, as alleged by Akhtar against her, was made out and further probe into it was required. 

On March 1, 2021, Court issued bailable warrant against Kangana Ranaut and posted the matter for further hearing on March 22.

On March 25, 2021, the Mumbai court cancelled the bailable warrant against Kangana Ranaut after she appeared before it in connection with the defamation complaint.

On July 21, 2021, Kangana moved HC against defamation case seeking the quashing of proceedings initiated by a city magistrate on the criminal defamation complaint. 

On September 9, 2021, HC dismissed Kangana’s plea seeking quashing of defamation case.

On September 14, 2021, Court  said that  a warrant will be issued against Kangana if she fails to appear in defamation case on Sept 20