Bombay HC pulls up Sanjay Raut's defense for verbal abuse against Kangana Ranaut

Kangana Ranaut's petition hearing at the Bombay High court is currently underway in which the actor has challenged BMC's move to demolish portions of her property on grounds of alleged illegal alterations. As Kangana's representative, Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf, presents his arguments before the Honorable judge, he has claimed malice-in-law and malice-in-fact as grounds for the case. While substantiating malice-in-fact,  Kangana's lawyer brought up the infamous interview given by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut where he threatened ''a lesson'' upon Kangana's return to Mumbai and also used an expletive addressed to her.

The audio recording of Raut's interview was played before the Court after which the Shiv Sena leader's advocate Pradeep Thorat made a rather weak case that the petitioner (Kangana) has not been referred by name in the audio. In response, Bombay High Court put Sanjay Raut's lawyer in his place by asking him if that would be his officially recorded statement. The judge pulled up Sanjay Raut's lawyer by asking him whether his defense in the case is that Raut has not used a derogatory term.

Read | Sanjay Raut flogs his 'himmat' under fire for ugly uncouth cuss against Kangana Ranaut

Kangana's counsel has been asked to submit a dossier of her Twitter exchanges with Raut and others in opposition of the Maharashtra government along with various interviews and statements made by the Shiv Sena MP on different occasions in the last month. Advocate Saraf brought up that Sanjay Raut has also clarified his abusive remark for the Bollywood actor in one of his interviews by explaining that the word means 'naughty'. The judge has responded to Raut's explanation with a seemingly mocking question - 'then what is naughty?'.

Read | Sanjay Raut responds to Kangana, says 'instead of playing Twitter games, go to police'

Kangana's lawyer contends for malice-in-law

Saraf, in the High court hearing, observed that anything done in the disregard of the rights of others and with a depraved inclination is malice in law. He argued that the BMC has overlooked the court orders in place for protection of the rights of parties in light of COVID-19 situation. Kangana's counsel also claimed that, in negligence of the law, BMC also deprived Kangana of the 7 day period to respond with a show cause for their claim of illegal constructions at her office.

Read | Kangana Ranaut slams Sanjay Raut's outrageous 'open threat' to her to not return to Mumbai

Read | Sonu Nigam irked by Sanjay Raut's cuss word for Kangana, calls it 'blatant misogyny'