Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has a defamation case filed against him by Maharashtra Housing Area and Development Authority (MHADA) after failing to respond to a legal notice sent earlier. A case has also been registered against developer Ashok Mohanani of the construction firm, Ekta World, for not responding to the same notice.
The notice was first sent to the actor after an advertisement was published in early July featuring him vouching for Ekta World’s claims that flats in Virar and Nashik sold by them are cheaper compared to their competitors, including MHADA. MHADA claims that the advertisement, in addition to causing damage to MHADA’s image, also violates regulations of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) such as honest representations to consumers and competitors.
According to the Deccan Chronicle report, MHADA had asked the developer, Ashok Mohanani, to stop advertisements comparing his projects with those of MHADA and sought that the developer apologise.
“The developer has not tendered any apology nor has he bothered to reply to the legal notice sent by MHADA. Thus, we have now decided to file a defamation suit against him and have also mentioned the same in the answer to a legislative assembly question raised by a legislator in the legislative council,” said secretary of MHADA, Bharat Bastewad.
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While Mohanani alleged that the defamation case was incorrect as Ekta World had already responded to the notice via a solicitor, Anil Kapoor has chosen not to comment on the matter.
This is the second time the actor faces a defamation case against him. Back in 2009, the actor had a defamation case filed against him and composer A R Rahman for being part of Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire that had ‘anti-Indian’ sentiments. The case was filed by one Vishwakarna from Patna, alleging that the meaning of “Slumdog Millionaire” in Hindi would equate slum-dwellers t dog, and that such a name was a violation of human rights and honour.