Kangana Ranaut and Javed Akhtar settle legal dispute amicably

MUMBAI: A legal battle between Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut and veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar ended on Friday with both deciding to withdraw the respective complaints filed against each other after mediation. Akhtar had filed an alleged defamation case against Kangana and she had filed a case of alleged criminal Intimidation and insult to modesty case against the lyricist.
Addl Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Awari in his order on Friday said, the complaint is disposed as withdrawn in view of the mediator’s report and the statements annexed. The court said Kangana and Akhtar both are acquitted of the offences with which they were charged with and their bail bonds stand cancelled.
Both parties were amenable for settlement and accordingly the draft was prepared and signed through mediation process, Kangana’s advocate Rizwan Siddiquee said to the court.
Akhtar’s advocate Jay Bharadwaj, from Delhi who too was in Mumbai for the hearing and he too said in view of the mediation and statement made by Kangana, his client too agreed to withdraw the defamation case he had filed against her. Both were present in court along with their counsel.
Kangana had stated that the statements made by her in her interview dated 19.07.2020 and thereafter were a result of misunderstanding and she unconditionally withdrew all the statements, undertaking not to repeat them. She apologized for the inconvenience caused to Akhtar who she said she holds in high regard as one of the “senior most members of the film industry.’’
She said, “I also agree to withdraw the complaint’’ filed against him.
Akhtar also in his statement said, “In view of the statements made by Kangana Ranaut I agree to withdraw the complaint’’ filed against her and also the criminal revision plea of 2023. The case was settled amicably on Friday said lawyers from both sides.