Bombay High Court disposes defamation suit after actor tenders unconditional apology to Richa Chadha

Mumbai, October 15: A defamation suit filed by actor Richa Chadha against another actor for naming her while making allegations of sexual misconduct against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, was disposed of Wednesday after the defendant withdrew the alleged defamatory and derogatory statements and tendered an unconditional apology.

Chadha had last week filed a defamation suit, through senior counsel Veerendra Tulzapurkar and advocate Saveena Bedi Sachar, against the actor, film critic Kamaal R Khan, a news channel and others. She had also sought Rs 1.1 crore as monetary compensation.

A single-judge bench of Justice Anil K Menon on Wednesday accepted the apology and consent terms filed by the two actors and disposed of the suit filed by Chadha against the actor. Both the parties have agreed not to file any case against each other or seek compensation, The Indian Express reported.

On October 7, the actor told the high court that she was willing to apologise to Chadha and withdraw her remarks, where she had said Kashyap had mentioned to her names of three actors —Chadha, Huma Qureshi and Mahie Gill — who had granted him “sexual favours” to bag film assignments.

On Wednesday, advocates Sachar and Nitin Satpute (appearing for the defendant) said their consent terms were finalised and signed and the undertaking was submitted for the same.

The actor undertook to delete all her statements and defamatory posts against Chadha on Twitter and any other platform and further undertook that she will not publish any defamatory, insulting or humiliating statements against Chadha at any time in perpetuity, related to the present suit or any issue, dispute, and controversy between the defendant and a third person on any media platform.

The court also granted four weeks to Khan and the news channel to file an affidavit after they informed it that they would contest the suit. The bench further extended its interim order putting a temporary injunction and restraining the news channel and unknown persons from sharing or adding any content under dispute in regard to the case. The HC will hear the suit after six weeks.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/bombay-high-court-disposes-defamation-suit-after-actor-tenders-unconditional-apology-to-richa-chadha-6728508/