The Metropolitan Magistrate, Andheri RR Khan, rejected the plea of advocate Jai Bharadwaj’s (Javad Akhtar’s lawyer) plea seeking that an arrest warrant be filed against Kangana. But the complaint could move the plea again if Ranaut fails to appear at the next hearing. The court has now adjourned the matter to 1 September.

“The advocate for the complainant has been informed that on the failure of the accused to remain present before the court on the next date, they may apply for a warrant against her,” said the Magistrate.

Ranaut’s lawyer also requested that she be exempted from appearing in court due to professional commitments.

The court said: “The exemption application filed by the advocate of the accused was granted today as the last chance. Advocates for the accused are directed to keep the accused present on the next date without fail.

The 76-year-old lyricist filed the case against the actor in magistrate’s court last November stating that Ranaut had made defamatory statements about him in a television interview.

In his complaint, Akhtar said in an interview that Ranaut dragged his name to mud while referring to a ‘coterie’ existing in Bollywood, following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year.