Renowned playback singer Kumar Sanu has filed a defamation suit in the Bombay High Court against his former wife Rita Bhattacharya, seeking ₹30 lakh in damages and removal of interviews where she allegedly made defamatory statements about him. The case comes more than two decades after the couple’s divorce, which was finalised in 2001. The matter will be heard on December 17.
According to the petition, Ms. Bhattacharya gave interviews to entertainment platforms such as Viral Bhayani and Film Window in which she accused the singer of starving her during pregnancy, locking the kitchen, denying milk and medical care, and conducting court proceedings while she was expecting. She also alleged that Mr. Sanu had multiple affairs and neglected his family. The interviews were widely circulated on social media in September 2025.
The petition states that these remarks violate the consent terms recorded during their divorce proceedings before the Bandra Family Court on February 9, 2001. Those terms, according to Mr. Sanu, included a clause that neither party would make allegations against the other in the future. The petition argues that Ms. Bhattacharya’s statements have caused reputational harm and mental distress.
