A
court
in
Mumbai
Tuesday
allowed
as
the
last
chance
actor
Kangana
Ranaut's
plea
seeking
exemption
from
personal
appearance
in
the
defamation
case
filed
by
Bollywood
lyricist
Javed
Akhtar
and
directed
her
to
remain
present
on
the
next
date
of
hearing
without
fail.
Metropolitan
magistrate,
Andheri,
RR
Khan,
also
rejected
the
plea
of
Akhtar,
filed
through
his
lawyer,
seeking
issuance
of
an
arrest
warrant
against
the
actor
but
said
the
complainant
can
move
the
plea
again
if
Ranaut
fails
to
appear
at
the
next
hearing.
The
matter
is
posted
for
hearing
on
September
1.
As
the
matter
came
up
for
hearing
on
Tuesday,
the
complainant
filed
a
reply
on
Ranaut's
plea
who
had
sought
permanent
exemption
from
appearance
before
court
citing
professional
commitments.
An
application
was
also
filed
requesting
the
court
to
issue
an
arrest
warrant
against
her.
During
the
proceedings,
Ranaut's
lawyer
requested
that
she
be
exempted
from
personal
appearance
for
the
day,
which
was
allowed
by
the
magistrate.
"The
exemption
application
filed
by
the
advocate
of
the
accused
is
granted
for
today
as
the
last
chance.
The
advocate
for
the
accused
is
directed
to
keep
the
accused
present
on
the
next
date
without
fail,"
the
court
said.
On
the
plea
seeking
issuance
of
a
warrant
against
the
actor,
the
magistrate
said,
"The
application
filed
by
the
advocate
of
the
complainant
for
issuance
of
warrant
against
the
accused
is
rejected.
The
advocate
for
the
complainant
is
informed
that
on
the
failure
of
the
accused
to
remain
present
before
the
court
on
the
next
date,
they
may
file
an
application
for
a
warrant
against
her".
Akhtar
(76)
had
filed
the
complaint
in
the
magistrate's
court
last
November
claiming
Ranaut
had
made
defamatory
statements
against
him
in
a
television
interview,
which
allegedly
damaged
his
reputation.
In
his
complaint,
Akhtar
claimed
that
Ranaut
dragged
his
name
during
an
interview
while
referring
to
a
'coterie' existing
in
Bollywood,
following
the
alleged
suicide
by
actor
Sushant
Singh
Rajput
in
June
last
year.