Bollywood playback singer Kumar Sanu aka Sanu Bhattacharjee has filed a ₹50 crore defamation suit before the Bombay High Court against his former wife alleging that her recent interviews and social media remarks have gravely damaged his reputation [Sanu Bhattacharjee @ Kumar Sanu v. Rita Bhattacharya & Anr].
The suit seeks a permanent and mandatory injunction to restrain his ex-wife Rita Bhattacharya and online platforms including Google and Meta from publishing or circulating allegedly defamatory content about the singer and his family.
The application seeking urgent interim reliefs is likely to be listed before Justice Milind Jadhav on December 24.
In his plaint filed through advocate Sana Raees Khan, Sanu has contended that Bhattacharya’s interviews on YouTube channels Film Window, Viral Bhayani and Siddharth Kannan in September 2025 contained false and scandalous allegations about his conduct during their marriage.
The suit states that these videos were widely shared through clips and reels and collectively garnered over 1.5 million views causing irreparable harm to his goodwill and professional prospects.
“The defamatory remarks have cast unwarranted aspersions on Sanu’s integrity and credibility, resulting in a tangible decline in professional inquiries and engagement opportunities,” he claimed in his suit.
He also pointed out that some of these videos have since been taken down or made private following legal notices.
Sanu further alleges that Bhattacharya’s statements amount to a willful breach of the consent terms recorded in their matrimonial proceedings in 2001.
Under said terms, both parties had agreed to withdraw allegations and not raise claims against each other in future.
Sanu asserted that Bhattacharya revived old grievances after 32 ears of separation.
“This conduct constitutes wilful and deliberate breach of consent terms entered at the time of divorce amounting to contempt of court and breach of contract”, the plaint stated.
The singer has quantified his claim at ₹50 crores:
- ₹15 crore towards alleged actual commercial losses arising from cancelled professional engagements, reduced appearance fees and suspension of endorsement contracts;
- ₹10 crore for damage to professional reputation and goodwill,
- ₹15 crore for mental agony, humiliation and distress; and
- ₹10 crore as exemplary and punitive damages “to deter similar campaigns”.
The plaint asserts that the controversy has led to a decline in professional inquiries and engagement opportunities, coupled with a surge of abusive comments on social media.
Sanu has also referred to a prior order of the Delhi High Court recognising and protecting his personality and publicity rights, contending that the present statements by his ex-wife further infringe those rights.
The suit has sought directions to Bhattacharya to tender a written apology before the court and to publish the same in newspapers.
He has also sought a wide-ranging takedown order against social media platforms and “John Doe” (unknown entities) entities to remove existing content and block any future uploads of the defamatory statements.