Rupali Ganguly has issued a defamation notice to her stepdaughter, Esha Verma, demanding a compensation of Rs 50 crore for allegedly "maligning" her character and personal life. The legal notice was filed in response to what the actress claims are "false and damaging statements" made by Esha. Rupali's legal team, led by lawyer Sana Raees Khan, has taken this step to safeguard her reputation.
The notice, addressed to Esha, states that Rupali Ganguly was shocked by the posts and comments made by her on various social media platforms, including Twitter (now X), Instagram and Facebook. It goes on to clarify that the notice has been issued to present the true facts of the situation.
"Our client states that she was shocked to see the posts and comments published by you on various social media platforms including Twitter (now X), Instagram, and Facebook. Our client states that it is apposite to put the true and correct facts leading to the issuance of the present notice," the legal notice read.
The document further mentions that Rupali Ganguly endured mental trauma due to these statements, requiring medical treatment, and faced humiliation on set, which also led to the loss of professional opportunities. The notice explains that while the actress initially chose to remain silent out of dignity, she was forced to take legal action after she and her husband Ashwin Verma's 11-year-old son was dragged into the matter. She has also demanded an immediate, unconditional public apology. Failure to comply will result in further legal action, as stated in the notice.
The legal notice further clarified that Rupali Ganguly had been friends with Ashwin Verma for 12 years before he separated from his second wife (Esha's mother) in 2009. It also mentioned that the actress and her husband Ashwin Verma, had tried to support Esha's career by providing her with opportunities, such as arranging photoshoots and special audition arrangements, in an effort to help her break into the entertainment industry.
It all started after Esha Verma made serious allegations against her father Ashwin Verma and Rupali Ganguly. In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, the 26-year-old accused Rupali of physically assaulting her mother in Mumbai, stating, "Rupali physically hit my mother in person in Mumbai." Esha also accused Ashwin of being "a very abusive man physically and emotionally." She went on to say, “I was devastated, crying in high school because of the women who deliberately came into our lives, who broke my parent's marriage, who physically hit my mother in person in Mumbai in my grandparent's house. To see her win, that's the most devastating thing which I have gone through. I'm not pinpointing just Rupali here; I have also gathered the strength to say that it is my father's fault. He was also a very abusive man physically and emotionally so it's a two-party street."
Esha further claimed that when the news of her allegations first went viral, she was terrified and pressured by her father to delete her post. She also recounted an unsettling experience when Rupali travelled to their home in New Jersey and allegedly slept in the bed shared by Esha's parents. "It was Rupali who told my father to give my mother the divorce papers," Esha revealed. She expressed her disbelief over Ashwin's recent comments on social media, where he denied Rupali's involvement. Esha countered, saying, "I don't know what Rupali and Ashwin will now say further to these allegations and comments. I know my father has said something on Twitter now X. He said that Rupali was not involved, and that is the biggest lie because Rupali was the one who came to my house in New Jersey and slept on my mother's bed—the bed that my father and mother shared. She has done so much, physically, mentally, verbally, and emotionally, abusing me and my mom. I feel like that was a lot of trauma I had to deal with and suffer with and my mom did too. We suffered a lot, and we don't have that exposure as she does.”
Last week, Ashwin K Verma issued a statement on X (previously Twitter) and addressed the allegations levelled against him and Rupali. He wrote, "I do have two daughters from previous relationships, something Rupali and I have always been open about that I care a great deal about. I understand that my younger daughter still holds a lot of hurt about the dissolution of her parent's relationship as divorce is a difficult experience that can greatly affect and harm the children of that marriage. But marriages end for many reasons, and my relationship with my second wife had multiple challenges that led to our separation-challenges that were between she and I and that had nothing to do with any other person. I only want the best for my children and my wife and it saddens me to see anyone being pulled into cycles of negativity by the media.”
A sincere reflection on recent remarks. pic.twitter.com/QfpN324fwB
— Ashwin K Verma (@AshwinKVerma) November 3, 2024
Esha, now 26, is the daughter of Ashwin and Sapna Verma and currently resides in the United States. Ashwin and Sapna married in 1997 and separated in 2008. Ashwin married Rupali in 2013, and are parents to a son named Rudransh.
