"Unable To Compete, So...": Nora Fatehi Sues Jacqueline Fernandez

Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi on Monday filed a case against fellow actor Jacqueline Fernandez, and 15 media houses, for alleged defamatory remarks made by her. She accused the media organisations of "carrying forward and circulating" Ms Fernandez's remarks. Ms Fatehi further claimed that her rival actor and the media organisations "were acting in connivance with each other".

"A conspiracy by the accused No. 1 (Jacqueline Fernandez) to ensure the financial, social, and personal downfall of the complainant was hatched, and enacted by the said action," she has said in the petition filed through her lawyer.

"Her rapidly progressing career quite obviously has threatened her rivals who are unable to compete with her on a fair footing," the petition says.

"It has started to become evident that the aforementioned rivals being unable to compete with the complainant fairly in the industry have started to try and tarnish her reputation which would cause her loss of work and hence would open up greener pastures for her rivals in the industry," it adds.

The remark in question are linked to the Rs 200 crore extortion case being probed by central agencies, where conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar is the main accused. Both the actors have been summoned by probe agencies, and Ms Fernandez is named as an accused in the case after it was revealed that she received expensive gifts from the conman. Ms Fatehi has also received gifts from Sukesh.

On December 2, emerging from the Enforcement Directorate office after recording her statement, she had denied receiving any gifts from Sukesh.

Jacqueline Fernandez had earlier in a plea before the Appellate Authority of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, or PMLA, clearly stated that it is surprising that like her some other celebrities, notably, Norah Fatehi, were also conned by Sukesh Chandrashekhar in the case, but while Nora Fatehi and other celebrities who received gifts from Sukesh Chandrashekhar are made witnesses, she is sought to be dragged as an accused.

The ED in its supplementary chargesheet filed in the extortion case against conman Sukesh in a Delhi Court has mentioned Jacqueline Fernandez's name as an accused.

ED's earlier chargesheet did not mention her name as an accused, but provided details of the statement recorded by Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi in the matter.

According to the ED, Sukesh was confronted with Ms Fernandez on October 20, 2021 where she revealed that he had arranged private jet trips and her hotel stay many times.

Statements of Nora Fatehi were recorded Sptember 13, 2021 and October 14, 2021, where she said that she got a booking for a charity event and during the event, she was gifted a Gucci Bag and one iPhone by Sukesh's wife Leena Paulose, the probe agency had said.

Nora Fatehi had further said that Leena Paulose had called her along with her husband and put the phone on the speaker, where he thanked her and said that they were her fans. She then announced that they were going to gift her a brand-new BMW car as a token of love.

"The reputation of any person in the Film Industry is an asset and any denting in the same would cause a huge and irreparable damage to their career. All the Accused herein are acutely aware of this and this establishes that the defamation done by them is with mala fide intentions," Nora Fatehi's defamation petition says.