The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed the plea filed by actor Kangana Ranaut seeking quashing of the criminal defamation proceedings initiated against her by a court here based on lyricist Javed Akhtar”s complaint. Justice Revati Mohite Dere, who on September 1 had reserved the order dismissed Kangana’s plea.

Kangana had challenged the defamation proceedings that were initiated by the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate court early this year, stating the court had failed to apply its mind to the case.

Akhtar”s counsel Jay Bharadwaj, however, told the High Court that the magistrate had directed for the police inquiry after going through his client’s complaint and excerpts of Kangana’s interview to a news channel in which she had made the alleged defamatory comments against the lyricist.

Akhtar had filed the criminal complaint against the actor with the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate in last November for her alleged comments against him at the interview to a news channel. Akhtar said the defamatory comments made against him were with false and baseless. Her interview was aired in one of the noted English channel.

In December 2020, the court directed the Juhu police to conduct an inquiry into Akhtar’s complaint against Kangana and then initiated criminal proceedings against her, and issued summons to her in February this year.