Mumbai court directs police to enquire reporter's defamation complaint against actor Raveena Tandon

Tandon, through her lawyer, had claimed that the reporter was an extortionist who didn't delete a video of a purported road rage incident involving the actor.

Mumbai: A Mumbai court on Monday directed police to enquire into a defamation and criminal intimidation complaint lodged by a freelance reporter against actor Raveena Tandon over a road rage video posted by him.

The court directed the police to submit a report by January 3, 2025.

The complaint was lodged by Mohsin Shaikh before the magistrate court in Borivli, seeking action against the actor under sections 500 (punishment for defamation) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The actor, through her lawyer, had claimed that the reporter was an extortionist who didn't delete a video of a purported road rage incident involving the actor in Bandra from his Twitter (now X) account, Shaikh's advocate Ali Kaashif Khan said.

In the viral video, a man had claimed that Raveena's driver hit his mother, and when questioned, she started assaulting her. The man also claims the incident happened when he was walking with his mother, sister, and niece near the actor's house.

However, the Mumbai Police, in the course of its investigation found that the actor's car did not collide with anyone.

Later, the actor sent a defamation notice to the reporter, and informed him about the "true and correct facts about the post as has been revealed from the police investigation" and requested him to delete the video.

However, Shaikh, in his complaint before the court, claimed that in the video, posted on June 2, 2024, he exercised his freelancing reporting and social duties of being a respected citizen of the country.

The video was the result of careful reporting and was produced in compliance with the highest standards of social ethics, as per the complainant.

"Despite the accuracy of the information presented, the accused has responded with aggressive and unlawful measures to coerce the complainant into retracting the video from his Twitter (X) handle," the reporter claimed.

The defamation notice, demanding Rs 100 crores in damages is an "exorbitant and baseless claim" which serves as an attempt to intimidate and financially extort the complainant under the guise of legal action, the complainant claimed.

Shaikh claimed that due to the notice, he had been targeted by a malicious insult campaign led by Raveena Tandon and her fan, involving defamatory postings across multiple social media platforms.

He claimed the actor and her associate committed offences under IPC sections 500, 504, and 506.