NEW DELHI: Actor Nora Fatehi on Monday recorded her statement before the Metropolitan Magistrate Kapil Gupta in a defamation case filed by her against another Bollywood actor, Jacqueline Fernandez, and various media organisations.
Nora Fatehi, who appeared in Patiala House Court today, stated, “This defamation case has been filed against Jacqueline Fernandez and the various other channels and publications who have ruined my reputation in the public eye through false narratives. They have called me a gold digger and accused me of having a relationship with con artist Sukesh Chandrasekhar”.
“This has caused me a loss of financial gain and reputation. The reason why I have filed this case is because of the ongoing ED case against Sukesh who was accused of conning a sum of Rs 200 crore that I have nothing to do with and neither do I know anything”, she said further.
“I feel that I have been used as a scapegoat in this case in the media to safeguard certain people because I am an outsider and I have been taken as a soft target. I want compensation for all the damages caused to my career”, the actor said.
“Jacqueline has stated in the media why the ED has listed me as a witness in the case and herself as an accused. This statement has led to prolonged and unnecessary harassment, loss of work and cyberbullying”, Fatehi said in her statement.
The actor, in her defamation complaint, also stated that she is aggrieved of defamatory remarks made by Jacqueline Fernandez, initially, which was further carried forward and circulated by the other accused persons (media organisations), all of whom were acting in connivance with each other and a conspiracy by the Jacqueline Fernandez to ensure the financial, social and personal downfall of the complainant (Fatehi) was hatched and enacted by the said actions.
The Patiala House Court on Monday, after recording her statement, said that the statement of another witness in the matter will be recorded in the month of September.
Nora, through the complaint, claimed that Jacqueline Fernandez’s statement has caused harm to her reputation for malicious reasons. She alleged that Jacqueline also maliciously attempted to absolve herself from her actions in other criminal proceedings which are absolutely unrelated to the complainant.
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, Fatehi contended.
The actor said that it was “pertinent to submit that the reputation of any person in the film industry is an asset and any dent in the same would cause a huge and irreparable damage to their career”. Nora, through her advocates Vikram Singh Chauhan, Umair Ahmed and Tanisha stated that Jacqueline had made a “false statement” which was “unnecessary and unwarranted”.
She “unnecessarily dragged the complainant” and “defamed her as she is in the same industry and is fully aware that the business of any artist and their career is solely based on their reputation. Nora Fatehi and Jacqueline Fernandez both have been questioned by different investigation agencies in the Rs 200 crore extortion case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar and others. (ANI)