Kangana Ranaut receives final warning from Mumbai Court before issuing non-bailable warrant in Javed Akhtar defamation case

The court instructed Kangana Ranaut’s legal counsel to submit a response to the application requesting a non-bailable warrant.

A Mumbai court on Tuesday granted actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut a final opportunity to appear before issuing a non-bailable warrant in the defamation case filed by veteran Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar. Reports indicate that Ranaut was absent from the scheduled hearing, which was set to facilitate a resolution of the dispute.

Her lawyer, Rizwan Siddiquee, informed the Bandra court that she could not attend the proceedings due to her parliamentary commitments. However, Javed Akhtar's legal representative, advocate Jay K Bhardwaj, submitted an application urging the court to issue a non-bailable warrant against the actor, citing her repeated absences from nearly 40 crucial court hearings.

With tensions escalating in the case, the court has now extended one last chance for Ranaut to appear, signaling potential legal consequences if she fails to comply.

The court instructed Kangana Ranaut’s legal counsel to submit a response to the application requesting a non-bailable warrant. After reviewing the matter, the Magistrate decided to grant Ranaut one final opportunity to appear before taking stricter legal action.

A mediation session was scheduled for Tuesday, where Akhtar appeared before the Magistrate’s court as planned. However, Ranaut’s absence led to yet another delay in the proceedings, prolonging the legal dispute.

The ongoing legal battle between Ranaut and Javed Akhtar dates back to 2020 when the actress spoke about an alleged meeting with the veteran lyricist from 2016 during a televised interview. Akhtar later refuted her claims and subsequently filed a defamation case against her, arguing that her statements had harmed his reputation.

Kangana Ranaut later filed a counter-complaint against Javed Akhtar, accusing him of coercing her into apologizing under undue influence. In December 2024, both parties had agreed to resolve the matter through mediation, but the process has not yet taken place.

The case has since seen multiple hearings, with Ranaut’s repeated absences becoming a point of contention in the legal proceedings.