Sessions court rejects Kangana's plea seeking transfer of defamation case filed by Akhtar
Mumbai(PTI): A sessions court here on Wednesday rejected Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut's application seeking transfer of the defamation case filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar from the magistrate's court in suburban Andheri.
The court also refused to transfer her counter- complaint against Akhtar, filed before the Andheri court, elsewhere.
The detailed order passed by second additional principal and sessions judge (Dindoshi) S S Oza was not available immediately.
Ranaut' had claimed in her application that the 10th Metropolitan Magistrate's Court (Andheri) showed bias and prejudice towards her by not granting her permanent exemption from appearance, and threatened to issue an arrest warrant against her for a bailable and non-cognizable offense." In October 2021, the chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) had rejected a similar plea, following which she moved the sessions court.
Akhtar (76) filed the complaint before the Andheri magistrate in November 2020, alleging that Ranaut made defamatory statements against him in a television interview which damaged his reputation.
Ranaut dragged his name for no reason while talking about the existence of a "coterie" in Bollywood against the backdrop of the alleged suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020, Akhtar said in the criminal defamation complaint.
Ranaut, on her part, filed a counter-complaint in the Andheri court against Akhtar, alleging "extortion and criminal intimidation." Following her public spat with a co-star, Akhtar called her and her sister Rangoli Chandel to his house and "criminally intimidated and threatened" her, Ranaut alleged. Akhtar has denied the accusation.
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India will ensure zero casualty during heat waves: Shah
Ghaziabad (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said his ministry has prepared a plan to ensure zero human casualty during heat waves in the country in the next few years with the underlying principle of being "proactive" rather than "reactive" towards disasters.
The minister spoke after he presented the President's Colour to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at the campus of its 8th battalion here.
The President's Colour flag is awarded to a military or police unit for rendering exceptional service.
The honour came to the force in the 20th year of its establishment after it was raised in 2006 as a federal contingency force to undertake relief and rescue operations during natural and man-made disasters.
The President's Colour is not just a "recognition" for the excellent services of the NDRF but also of all the state disaster response forces, the state machinery, the NCC (National Cadet Corps), NSS (National Service Scheme), 'Apda Seva Mitras' (volunteers) among others, Shah said.
He added that the NDRF has earned the "admiration and trust" of the people of the country and even abroad through its operations.
The minister said the aim of the Modi government was to ensure "zero casualty and minimum property damage" during tragedies and calamities, including cyclones, earthquakes and floods.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has prepared a plan to better combat the "serious challenge" of heat waves in the country and we will be able to ensure "zero casualty" in this context over the next few years, Shah said.
Our approach and policy has been "proactive" against disasters rather than being just "reactive", he said.
Shah said India has made its name as a "global leader" in disaster management and being the "first responder" during calamities as he asked the NDRF to prepare itself in the face of global warming and climate change.
The NDRF has 16 operational battalions deployed across the country with an overall strength of about 18,000 personnel.
Speaking during the event, NDRF Director General (DG) Piyush Anand said the force has undertaken more than 12,000 operations since its creation.
