Jolly LLB defamation case: Court defers hearing as team fails to appear

The cast and producer of Bollywood movie 'Jolly LLB 2' failed to appear before a Delhi Court on Monday in connection with a defamation case filed by the footwear company Bata India Limited.

Anu Kapoor's counsel cited health reasons for the non-appearance of his client, while Akshay Kumar's counsel stated that his client was shooting for a movie in Indore and had not received the summons till now. The actors' counsels expressed their readiness to argue on the issues of framing of notices.

The matter will now be heard on April 28.

Bata's counsel Senior Advocate Neeraj Grover had alleged that "disparaging comments and defamatory reference" was made to Bata as a brand in the main trailer of the motion picture.

The trial court had said that a prima facie case for the commission of an offence punishable under Sections 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC was made out and that there are adequate grounds for proceeding against every one of the accused in the case.