CINTAA files a case against Meenakshi Sagar for DEFAMATION

The controversy between Meenakshi Sagar Productions and the artistes, whom they have failed to pay for the famous teleshow Jamai Raja despite a lot of deliberations has taken an ugly turn now.

It all started with Meenakshi Sagar going to the press and making defamatory statements against CINTAA, because they had taken up the cudgels to get the due payments of its members released who had made complaints against Ms. Meenakshi Sagar.

The background is such that Ms. Meenakshi Sagar had made a promise to the members of CINTAA saying that they would be duly paid for the efforts they had put in for the production house. Following this, Meenakshi Sagar had requested CINTAA for the work of her production house, Meenakshi Sagar Productions to not get affected; and, in due course of time and as per the given schedule, she would make the payments. Despite passage of time and the said show Jamai Raja coming to an end, Meenakshi Sagar failed to honour her promise to CINTAA as well as to the members of CINTAA whom she had promised to pay.

In light of this, CINTAA also had a joint meeting with the producer association, IMPPA in which Babubhai Thiba gave a guarantee on Meenakshi's behalf that the payments would be made in time and according to the schedule given by Meenakshi Sagar to CINTAA.

Thereafter, according to CINTAA, Meenakshi Sagar entered into a misplaced legal bravado wherein she and her counsel started maligning the association and said that CINTAA is indulging in 'gundagiri' along with other defamatory quotes. Such irresponsible statements were made to which CINTAA took exception and took recourse to the court which was pleased to issue summons in a criminal defamation case against Meenakshi Sagar. What is highlighted once again is that the freedom of speech definitely has its limitations and if you wrongfully defame any institution or person then you are supposed to be answerable legally.

Suvigya Vidyarthi, advocate on behalf of CINTAA filed this complaint case, where the learned magistrate summoned Ms. Meenakshi for appearing in the court as an accused and getting herself bailed out in the criminal defamation case. He said, "The criminal court was pleased to issue summons against Ms. Meenakshi Sagar for the offence of defamation. The honorable court has taken cognizance of the fact that the freedom of speech cannot be extended to malign anybody. This order comes in the wake of many offending statements given by and on behalf of her in the press and print media."

Sushant Singh, General Secretary to CINTAA says, "There were un-called for statements by and behalf of Ms. Sagar and we have approached the court regarding the same on legal advice. Let the law take its own course."

Also, the Court had ordered Police Enquiry in the criminal cases filed by the unpaid actors against Ms. Meenakshi Sagar for the alleged offences of cheating and fraud.