Passport Renewal Case: HC Refuses to Hear Javed Akhtar's Plea Against Kangana

Javed Akhtar had alleged Kangana Ranaut's counsel made a 'misleading' statement in court.

Javed Akhtar had filed an intervention application against Kangana Ranaut. 

(Photo Courtesy: IANS; Instagram)

The Bombay High Court refused to hear an intervention application filed by veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, alleging that Kangana Ranaut's counsel made a 'misleading' statement in court to get her passport renewed, despite criminal cases pending against her, as per a report by The Indian Express.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing Akhtar, had argued that "a fraud had been played on the court for passport renewal".

In the plea, Akhtar had stated that the response by Ranaut’s counsel on no pending cases was limited to the criminal proceedings pertaining to two FIRs for sedition and for copyright violation, but it did not take into account the criminal defamation case against her filed by the lyricist.

While hearing Akhtar's arguments, the HC maintained that if they intervene in this matter, they will be flooded by similar petitions. "Today, you don't have the right to an audience. If we allow this application, the court will be overflooded with many such pleas. We are not entertaining an intervention application by someone who is not a complainant (in FIRs in question),” the court said.

However, the court suggested that Javed Akhtar approach the complainant in the Bandra sedition case or the public prosecutor’s office to raise his grievances.

Kangana Ranaut had filed an interim application seeking directions to the Regional Passport Authority to renew her passport to leave the country for a film shoot. Kangana's plea stated that the authority objected to the renewal because of an FIR registered against her by the Bandra police.

On 28 June, a special division bench had disposed of Kangana's interim application. Her counsel had told the court no criminal case was pending against her, despite two FIRs against her.

On 1 July, Akhtar moved the HC stating that Ranaut 'deliberately' made misleading statements to get a favourable ruling.