Akshay Kumar's Rs 500 cr defamation case: YouTuber Rashid Siddiquee opposes notice by actor in Sushant Singh Rajput death case
YouTuber Rashid Siddiquee has opposed the defamation notice issued against him by actor Akshay Kumar in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput death case and refused to pay Rs 500 crore damages sought by the star, saying there was nothing defamatory in his videos.
YouTuber Rashid Siddiquee has Opposed the defamation notice issued against him by actor Akshay Kumar in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput death case and refused to pay Rs 500 crore damages sought by the star, saying there was nothing defamatory in his videos.
Siddiquee has also urged Akshay Kumar to withdraw the notice, failing which he would initiate "appropriate legal proceedings" against the actor.
Kumar had on November 17 issued a defamation notice against Siddiquee seeking Rs 500 crore in damages for making "false and baseless allegations" against him in Rajput's death case.
Kumar, in the notice sent through law firm I C Legal, said Siddiquee in his YouTube channel FF News has published several "defamatory, libelous and derogatory" videos.
Siddiquee, in his reply sent through his advocate J P Jayswal on Friday, said the allegations made by Akshay Kumar were "false, vexatious and oppressive and is raised with an intent to harass him".
It added that following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, several independent reporters, including Siddiquee, covered the news as many influential people were involved and other prominent media channels were not providing correct information.
The reply further claimed that every Indian citizen has the fundamental right to freedom of speech.
It added that the content uploaded by Siddiquee cannot be considered as defamatory and that they are to be treated as viewpoints with objectivity.
"The news reported by Siddiquee was already in the public domain and he (Siddiquee) has placed reliance on other news channels as sources," the reply said.
It further questioned the delay in the defamation notice sent and said the videos were uploaded in August 2020.
"The damages of Rs 500 crore are absurd and unwarranted and are made with the intent to pressurise Siddiquee," the reply said.
Siddiquee sought Kumar to withdraw the notice and said if it is not done, he would initiate appropriate legal proceedings.
The YouTuber from Bihar further claimed that the actor was selectively targeting him.
"Akshay Kumar faced severe backlash after interviewing an influential politician, whereby thousands of people have made personal remarks against him on various YouTube videos and websites. Surprisingly, Kumar has not taken any action on the same, however, he has selectively chosen Siddiquee to saddle the blame of defamation," the reply said.
The Mumbai police have also filed a case against Siddiquee on charges of defamation, public mischief and intentional insult for his posts against Mumbai police, the Maharashtra government and minister Aaditya Thackeray.
Siddiquee was on November 3 granted anticipatory bail by a local court here, which directed him to cooperate in the probe.
The story has been taken from a news agency
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Senior Citizen Latest FD Rates: Know what major banks like SBI, PNB, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank are providing on fixed deposits
Gratuity Calculator: Rs 38,000 as last-drawn basic salary, 5 years and 5 months of service; what will be gratuity amount?
EPFO Pension Schemes: Early pension, retirement pension, nominee pension and 4 other pension schemes that every private sector employee should know
Top 5 Small Cap Mutual Funds with best SIP returns in 1 year: See how Rs 25,000 monthly investment has grown in each scheme
Top 7 SBI Mutual Funds With Best SIP Returns in 1 Year: Rs 25,000 monthly SIP investment in No.1 fund has jumped to Rs 3,58,404
11:52 AM IST