HC issues notice to Kumar Sanu’s estranged wife in ₹50-crore defamation suit

Sanu, who separated from Bhattacharjee in 1994 and divorced her in 2001, has sought ₹50 crore in damages for the “incessant defamatory acts of posting, publishing, circulating and spreading false imputations of him”

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has issued a notice to Rita Bhattacharjee, the estranged wife of playback singer Kumar Sanu, in a defamation case filed by the singer over content on social media and interviews.

MUMBAI, INDIA - AUGUST 29, 2017 : Kumar Sanu was spotted at an event on Tuesday August 29, 2017 in Mumbai, India. (Freelance photo by Yogen Shah) (Yogen Shah)

Sanu, who separated from Bhattacharjee in 1994 and divorced her in 2001, has sought ₹50 crore in damages for the “incessant defamatory acts of posting, publishing, circulating and spreading false imputations of him”. He claimed that she has tarnished his reputation and goodwill in the public domain.

Sanu told the court that Bhattacharjee had given several interviews to YouTube channels in September 2025, where she allegedly made false and baseless statements, attacking his personality, conduct and his character. He added that despite sending legal notices to several platforms, the videos are accessible to millions of viewers, and has caused him and his family severe mental distress.

The suit, filed in November, through advocate Sana Raees Khan, highlighted that Sanu, a well-known playback singer for over 42 years, is one of the most respected and distinguished figures in the music fraternity, and has earned the title of “Melody King of Bollywood”. It said that after nearly 32 years his wife has allegedly chosen to speak a “blatant lie under the garb of sharing truth”.

Sanu called Bhattacharjee’s conduct “not just violative of the consent terms entered between them during the divorce but also a calculated move for seeking public sympathy and attention”. He added that she had narrated a false story at the cost of defaming him and with an intention to attack his stardom that he has built over the years.

Recalling his wife’s statements, Sanu said that she described him as infamous, portraying him as a “person of immoral character and ill- conduct”. He added that such statements were a clear attempt to erase decades of his struggles and achievements, target his lineage and upbringing, and reduce his artistic credibility amongst his colleagues, “while subjecting him to mockery”.

Stating that Bhattacharjee has even called him a “criminal” in one of her interviews, portraying his personality as selfish, uncultured and negligent. He said that these statements amounted to “character assasination” and were an overt attack on his dignity.

Sanu has asked the court to permanently restrain Bhattacharjee and her representatives from making or sharing any defamatory statements against him. He has also sought directions to social media platforms, including Google and Meta, to stop circulating such content.

After reviewing the documents, justice Milind N Jadhav issued notices to Bhattacharjee and the concerned platforms on December 23. The court directed them to appear at the next hearing scheduled for January 14.