Cops get time till Feb 1 to report on Akhtar's defamation plaint

A magistrate court here onSaturday allowed the police time till February 1 to file areport of their enquiry into a defamation complaint filed byBollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar against actor Kangana Ranaut.

The court had in December, 2020 directed the Juhupolice to probe the matter and submit its report on January16.

However, the police on Saturday sought time to filethe report, which Metropolitan Magistrate Andheri, R R Khanallowed.

Akhtar had in November, 2020 filed a criminalcomplaint against Ranaut before the Andheri MetropolitanMagistrate, for allegedly making defamatory and baselesscomments against him in television interviews.

He had sought action against the actor under relevantsections of the IPC.

Akhtar's lawyer had submitted that the veteranlyricist has built his reputation from scratch in the last 55years and Kangana has made baseless comments on nationaltelevision and social media against him, damaging hisreputation.

Akhtar in his complaint alleged that Ranaut draggedhis name while referring to a ''coterie'' existing in Bollywood,following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June lastyear.

She had also claimed that Akhtar had threatened her tonot speak about her alleged relationship with actor HrithikRoshan, the complaint stated.