Mumbai: Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and his brother Mukesh Bhatt filed a defamation suit Monday in the Bombay High Court. The defamation suit was against aspiring actor Luvienna Lodh for making defamatory, slanderous and false allegations against them. The Bhatts have sought rupees one crore in damages from Luvienna Lodh. They have also sought an order restraining her from making any such false claims in future.
The plea was taken up for urgent hearing Monday by a single bench of Justice AK Menon. It asked Lodh to file a reply against the defamation suit, and posted the matter for hearing after three weeks.
Lodh’s advocates assured the court she would not publish or make any such statement against the plaintiffs (Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt).
Lodh last week posted a video on social media. In it she claimed to be married to one Sumit Sabharwal, who is allegedly Mahesh’s nephew. In the video, Lodh alleged that Sabharwal was in the business of supplying drugs and human trafficking. Lodh also alleged that Mahesh operates this business.
After the video was posted, Mahesh, through his counsel Ameet Naik, sent a legal notice to Lodh. He asked her to stop making such false statements.Then the Bhatts filed the suit Monday in the Bombay High Court.
“The suit is also seeking damages to the tune of rupees one crore from the respondent (Lodh) for making various grossly defamatory, slanderous, distasteful and false allegations and statements against the applicants (Bhatts),” the suit said. It also sought a direction to Lodh to delete her video.
The suit further claimed Sabharwal was not directly related to the Bhatts. He was ‘the son of the applicants’ sister’s husband’s brother’.
The suit further said Lodh had made false allegations against Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt, who are famous personalities. She had malafide intentions to obtain best settlement in her divorce proceedings with her estranged husband.