Nawazuddin Siddiqui, an actor, has filed a lawsuit in the Bombay High Court against his brother Shamsuddin and ex-wife Anjana Pandey, seeking damages of Rs. 100 crores for harassment and defamation. Siddiqui has also filed a writ petition against Pandey in the same court to locate his children who are currently under her custody. Justice Riyaz Chagla will hear the defamation case on March 30.
The advocate representing Anjana Pandey stated that a settlement between the parties is being considered, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui sent a draft of the settlement to Pandey on the previous evening. However, Pandey has not yet received the defamation suit. The advocate further added that they are committed to resolving all disputes between the parties, focusing on the welfare of their minor children and securing their future.
As per the lawsuit, Nawazuddin Siddiqui had appointed his brother Shamsuddin as his manager in 2008 due to the latter’s unemployment. Shamsuddin was responsible for tasks such as auditing, filing income tax returns, and making GST payments. As per the petition, Siddiqui had given his credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, signed chequebook, bank passwords, email address, etc. to Shamsuddin to carry out these tasks, while Siddiqui focused on his acting career.
As per the petition, Siddiqui’s younger brother Shamsuddin is accused of cheating and defrauding him. The petition alleges that Shamsuddin bought properties jointly with Siddiqui, but represented them as being bought in his own name. The properties in question include a flat and a semi-commercial property in Yari Road, a location in Buldhana, a farmhouse in Shahpur, a property in Dubai, and 14 vehicles such as Range Rovers, BMWs, Ducati, etc., as stated in Siddiqui’s petition.
According to Siddiqui’s petition, his younger brother Shamsuddin cheated and defrauded him by purchasing properties jointly but claiming they were in Siddiqui’s name. The properties include a flat and semi-commercial property in Yari Road, a place in Buldhana, a farmhouse in Shahpur, a property in Dubai, and 14 vehicles including Range Rovers, BMWs, Ducati, among others. Siddiqui alleges that Shamsuddin also instigated false cases against him and made audio and video recordings of Siddiqui’s conversations during his tenure as manager. Additionally, Siddiqui claims that his former wife, Anjana Pandey, misrepresented herself as an unmarried Muslim before their marriage despite being previously married. The petition further alleges that Shamsuddin and Pandey misappropriated Rs. 20 Crore. Siddiqui discontinued Shamsuddin’s services as his manager in 2020, after which he received legal notices from government departments for unpaid dues of Rs. 37 Crores that Shamsuddin failed to pay.
The lawsuit alleges that Shamsuddin and Pandey blackmailed Siddiqui by posting inappropriate videos and comments on social media when he demanded the return of his properties. According to the petition, Shamsuddin also enlisted his other brothers to do this. Siddiqui claims that Pandey misused the Rs. 10 Lakh per month he provided for his children’s education and the Rs. 2.5 Crores he gave to start a production house for her own pleasure. The lawsuit claims that Shamsuddin and Pandey’s false videos and posts have caused Siddiqui’s upcoming films to be delayed. The defamatory posts and articles have caused Siddiqui to feel embarrassed to attend social events and go out in public, the suit alleges.
Siddiqui has requested a permanent injunction to stop Shamsuddin and Pandey from publishing defamatory content on social media and defaming him. He also wants a written public apology and removal of all defamatory posts from social media. In addition, he has requested disclosure of individuals who were approached by Shamsuddin and Pandey to convey false and malicious information about him. Siddiqui has also asked for an order restraining the two from disposing of their assets in a way that would negatively affect his ability to recover damages. Pandey’s lawyer said that Siddiqui filed the lawsuit before proposing a settlement and withdrawing the suit will be a crucial part of any settlement between the parties.
Source: https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/bombay-high-court-actor-nawazuddin-siddiqui-100-crore-defamation-suit-224785