Court imposes cost on Preity Zinta for seeking adjournment

A magistrate's court in suburban Andheri today imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on the Bollywood actress Preity Zinta for seeking adjournment in the cheque bouncing case filed against her by the scriptwriter Abbas Tyrewala.
Zinta also did not get any relief from the Bombay High Court today, where she had sought a stay to the proceedings in the Andheri magistrate's court. Justice M L Tahilyani only posted her application for hearing next month.
Zinta has moved the High Court seeking quashing of the case registered against her by Tyrewala.
Tyrewala, who wrote the script for Zinta's film 'Ishkq In Paris', has filed a complaint with the magistrate's court that a remuneration cheque of Rs 18.9 lakh given by her bounced.

Zinta's lawyer Hitesh Jain said the magistrate imposed cost as they sought adjournment. "If the proceedings go on before the trial court then the petition before the High Court would become infructuous," he said, explaining why adjournment was sought.
The magistrate had imposed costs of Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 on Zinta on two earlier occasions for failure to remain present despite summons. On one occasion, the court had even issued a non-bailable warrant against her.