Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Rs 100-crore defamation suit against his younger brother Shamasuddin Siddiqui and estranged wife Anjana Pandey has been dismissed by the Bombay High Court for non-prosecution. The legal battle stemmed from allegations that Shamasuddin misappropriated funds from Nawazuddin’s accounts and tarnished his reputation.
About Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s lawsuit
As per reports, Nawazuddin Siddiqui had appointed his younger brother, Shamasuddin Siddiqui, as his manager in 2008 and gave him his credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, signed cheque book, bank passwords, email address, and other access, while he concentrated on his acting.
However, Nawazuddin alleged that over time, he found out that Shamasuddin had been buying joint properties in both their names by misappropriating funds from his bank accounts. While Shamasuddin informed Nawazuddin that the properties were bought in his name, the documents told a different story, the actor’s petition said. The properties allegedly included plots, flats, and farmhouses at prominent locations like Versova in Mumbai and Dubai.
When Nawazuddin was blackmailed
In his suit, Siddiqui sought damages for defamation and harm to his reputation, alleging that the actions of Pandey and his brother had significantly affected his personal and professional life. Court documents state that Siddiqui alleged false and defamatory content posted by his brother and former wife led to a loss of more than Rs 100 crore. He also alleged that his brother and ex-wife instigated his family members to give false statements to the media with the sole intention of defaming him.
The actor further claimed that before he and Pandey got married, he was told that she was a Muslim and unmarried, but he later found out that she was a Hindu and already married to someone else. The suit also claimed that his ex-wife used funds, allegedly given to start a production house, for her own “pleasure and enjoyment.”
Siddiqui alleged that his brother and ex-wife engaged in harassment and blackmail using “cheap videos and comments on social media.” His petition requested a permanent injunction to restrain the two from making further defamatory statements and demanded a written public apology. He also asked the court to direct Pandey and Shamasuddin to disclose all individuals to whom they allegedly conveyed false information and to prevent any asset transfers that could hinder recovery of damages.
On the work front, the actor is currently awaiting the release of Thamma with Rashmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana. The film is set to release this Diwali.
