Court defers defamation hearing as 'Jolly LLB 2' team fail to appear

New Delhi [India], Feb.22 (ANI): The cast and Producer of Bollywood movie 'Jolly LLB 2' failed to appear in the Delhi Court on Wednesday in connection with a defamation case filed by footwear company Bata India limited. The stars' failure to appear in the court on the scheduled first hearing was excused by the court and now the case will be heard next in April. The court was informed by the Delhi Police that actor Akshay Kumar did not receive any summon as he is out of town. However, actor Annu Kapoor, writer Subhash Kapoor and Fox Star Studios have received the court summons but did not appear before the court today. The Fox Studio counsel advocate informed the court that Jolly LLB actor Annu Kapoor is out of India and has received summon three days of before the hearing, therefore he was not able to appear before the court. On the other hand, Subhash Kapoor is out for a family function in Darjeeling. The court has asked Fox Studio counsel to submit Akshay Kumar's email address and contact number. Bata's counsel Senior Advocate Neeraj Grover, in its complaint, 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. (ANI)