Kangana Ranaut Vs Javed Akhtar: A timeline of their legal battle

Kangana Ranaut and Javed Akhtar are two prominent figures in Bollywood who have been embroiled in a legal dispute since 2020. The feud started when Ranaut accused Akhtar of being part of a "coterie" that was against the "outsiders" in the industry and pressuring her to apologize to Hrithik Roshan for their public spat. Akhtar filed a defamation case against Ranaut for making "baseless allegations" against him in an interview. Ranaut then filed a counter-complaint against Akhtar for criminal intimidation and insult to the modesty of a woman. Here is a timeline of the events that have transpired so far:

November 2, 2020: Akhtar filed a defamation case against Ranaut under Section 499 and 500 of the IPC in a Mumbai court . He alleged that Ranaut had made false and derogatory statements about him in an interview with Republic TV on July 19, 2020. He claimed that Ranaut had said that he had summoned her to his house and threatened her to not speak about her relationship with Roshan. He also claimed that Ranaut had said that he was part of a "gang" that was against the "outsiders" in Bollywood and that he had asked her to apologize to Roshan for calling him a "silly ex". He sought damages and an apology from Ranaut for tarnishing his reputation.

January 22, 2021: Mumbai Police summoned Ranaut in connection to the case and asked her to appear before them. However, Ranaut did not comply with the summons and sought more time from the police. She also moved the Bombay High Court to quash the case, claiming that it was an abuse of process and that she had not made any defamatory remarks against Akhtar.

March 25, 2021: Ranaut was granted bail by the court after she failed to appear before the court despite being summoned and was issued a bailable warrant. She had to furnish a surety of Rs. 15,000 and a cash surety of Rs. 20,000. She also had to appear before the court on March 26, 2021, for further proceedings.

July 2021: Bombay High Court dismissed Ranaut's plea to quash the case and asked her to appear before the Magistrate Court on September 14. The court observed that there was prima facie evidence to show that Ranaut had made defamatory statements against Akhtar and that the case could not be quashed at this stage. The court also warned Ranaut that if she failed to appear before the Magistrate Court, a non-bailable warrant would be issued against her.

September 20, 2021: Ranaut filed a new complaint on September 20 charging Akhtar with criminal extortion and intimidation. After their 2016 public confrontation, Ranaut alleged that Akhtar had pressured her into writing an apology to Roshan by inviting her and her sister Rangoli Chandel to stay at his house. She stated that if she didn't comply, Akhtar had threatened to harm her.

July 27, 2023: A Magistrate court in Mumbai summoned Akhtar on Ranaut's complaint and asked him to appear before the court on August 5. The court has found sufficient grounds to proceed against Akhtar for criminal intimidation and gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman. However, the court has also held that no case was made out against him for extortion.

The legal battle between the two celebrities is still ongoing and both parties have maintained their stance.