Allahabad high court stays proceedings against Rakhi Sawant in defamation case

The Allahabad high court today stayed trial proceedings against actress Rakhi Sawant at a court in Muzaffarnagar in connection with a defamation case against her.

Passing the order on a criminal revision petition filed by Sawant, Justice Bala Krishna Narayana asked the Uttar Pradesh government and the Muzaffarnagar police to file their reply within four weeks.

Sawant is facing trial in a case of defamation and obscenity lodged by one Narendra Singh, who has alleged that Sunita Singh, to whom he has been married since 2003, was shown as another man's wife in one of the episodes of Sawant's controversial TV show Rakhi Ka Insaf.

The actress' counsel Shishir Tandon argued that the trial court had initiated hearing and issued summons "without any application of mind to the facts of the case and the materials on record".

The court stayed the proceedings observing that "the matter requires consideration upon receiving response from the opposite parties".

Sawant's TV show, which went on air less than a year ago, has been embroiled in controversies on more than one occasion.

The show has been shifted to late night slot from prime time following a directive from the information and broadcasting ministry following complaints of "foul language" being used.

Besides, a case of abetment to suicide was lodged in Jhansi against Sawant and others by a woman whose son had starved himself to death after he took part in the TV show where he was allegedly subjected to humiliation by the feisty actress.