Mumbai: Court Directs Cops To Enquire Scribe's Defamation Plaint Against Actress Raveena Tandon

The Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Borivali on Monday directed Goregaon police to investigate a complaint filed by social activist and freelance journalist Mohsin Shaikh against actress Raveena Tandon over an alleged accident video posted by him.

The legal battle between Tandon and Shaikh began after an incident on June 1, when the driver of the car Tandon was travelling in allegedly hit a passerby family while reversing. A confrontation ensued between the driver and the family, which escalated into a scuffle. Shaikh recorded and posted the incident on social media, where a man claimed that Tandon’s driver hit his mother, and when questioned, Tandon began assaulting her.

However, during the police investigation, it was determined that Tandon’s car had not collided with anyone. Tandon then sent a defamation notice to Shaikh, requesting that he delete the video, citing the findings of the police investigation as evidence of the post’s inaccuracy.

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Tandon, through her lawyer, accused Shaikh of extortion for not complying with her request to remove the video. In response, Shaikh filed a complaint with the Borivali Magistrate Court, seeking action against Tandon under Indian Penal Code sections 500 (defamation) and 506 (criminal intimidation), among others.

Shaikh, in his complaint, defended his actions as part of his duty as a freelance reporter and a responsible citizen. He denied Tandon’s allegations, asserting that his reporting was conducted ethically and the video was posted after careful consideration.

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He also described Tandon’s Rs 100 crore defamation notice as “exorbitant and baseless,” claiming it was an attempt to intimidate and financially extort him. Shaikh further alleged that following the notice, he became the target of a defamatory campaign led by Tandon and her supporters across social media platforms.