Kumar Sanu may finally relax after months of legal wrangling. The seasoned playback singer has applauded the Bombay High Court’s recent ruling in his favor, describing it as a crucial move to shield his family and reputation from what the court deemed to be defamatory remarks made in public.
Sanu launched a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Rita Bhattacharya, in December 2025, and the Bombay High Court granted him ad-interim relief. The artist claimed that Bhattacharya had made detrimental and inaccurate statements about him in interviews and on social media, and he had demanded damages of Rs 50 crore. The court’s interim decision prohibited Bhattacharya from making or disseminating any allegedly defamatory remarks about Sanu or his family and ordered her to pay Rs 50 lakh in damages.
In response to the directive, Sanu emphasized the human cost of the scandal while expressing thanks in an interview with Hindustan Times. “My family should never have had to suffer because of the defamatory statements that affected my reputation and our dignity,” he declared. “My reputation is the result of years of dedication.”
On January 21, Justice Milind Jadhav issued the ruling after noting that Bhattacharya’s interviews went beyond what was considered appropriate criticism. “I am of the opinion that at some places in the interviews which have been given by Bhattacharya, there is a clear personal tirade against Sanu which is prima facie qualified by words that are used therein,” the court stated in his remarks.
Sanu filed the case through attorney Sana Raees Khan, who informed the court that Bhattacharya had made grave accusations against the singer in several interviews with entertainment platforms. These included allegations that he mistreated her while she was pregnant, denied her access to food, milk, and medical treatment, restricted her to household chores, pursued legal action while she was pregnant, and had several extramarital encounters. Sanu has refuted every accusation, characterizing them as spiteful and untrue.
Before going to court, on September 27, Sanu sent Bhattacharya and certain media portals a legal notice threatening criminal prosecution under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita if the interviews were not removed.
Although Bhattacharya and a few independent media outlets were prohibited from “writing, speaking, posting, publishing or disseminating” any allegedly defamatory content, the court did not immediately order the removal of any interviews that already existed. Justice Jadhav made it clear that the matter would be taken into consideration following the defendants’ reply. The next hearing on the issue is scheduled on January 28.
The conflict stems from interviews that Bhattacharya conducted for Viral Bhayani and Film Window last year. The couple’s 2001 divorce agreement, which reportedly prohibited both parties from filing accusations against one another, is also included in the lawsuit.
Rita Bhattacharya and Kumar Sanu were married in 1986, separated in 1994, and finalized their divorce in 2001. They have three sons together.
