Court summons Kangana Ranaut, sister

Mumbai: A magistrate court in Andheri on Tuesday issued summons to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel asking them to appear before the court in connection with a defamation case filed by Aaditya Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab in 2017.

The metropolitan magistrate S.B. Dighe issued four summons, two each, against Kangna and Rangoli asking them to remain present before the court and deferred hearing on the defamation suit filed by Pancholi on July 26.

According to Mr Pancholi’s lawyer Shreya Shrivastava, Kangana had defamed the actor during her appearance in a TV show as well as while giving an interview to a news channel.

According to Ms Shrivastava, Kangna had claimed that Mr Pancholi had kept her in house arrest and she had registered an FIR against him. But since no such FIR was registered there is prima facie case that she had defamed the actor,” Ms Shrivastava said.

Kangana had alleged in the past that she was in an abusive relationship with Mr Pancholi when she was a newbie in Bollywood.

Rongoli, on the other hand had defamed the actor and his wife by making allegation against the couple on social media.

She had twitted that there was an FIR against Mr Pancholi in 2005-06. She had also claimed that Mr Pancholi had allegedly harassed her sister and his wife was equally involved.

Issuance of summons in a defamation case is to inform defendant that he or she is being sued and asserts the power of the court to hear and determine the case. It is a form of a legal process that commands the defendant to appear before the court on a specific day and to answer the complaint made by the plaintiff.