The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted ad-interim relief to singer Kumar Sanu in his ₹50 crore defamation suit against his ex-wife, Rita Bhattacharya, filed in December 2025.

The court also passed a gag order in Sanu’s favour, restraining Rita and several independent media houses from publishing any allegedly defamatory statements about the singer or his family.

Reacting to the order, Sanu’s lawyer Sana Raees Khan said the relief protects a reputation built over decades and reinforces that “dignity and reputation are legally protected rights”.

Rita’s counsel, Atif Noor Hasan Shaikh, urged the bench to refer the matter for mediation and said Rita would remain present on the next date. He added that her reply and supporting evidence would be filed through due process, and she was open to an amicable resolution, including mediation, “for the sake of Kumar Sanu and their three sons Jesee, Zicco and Jaan Bhattacharya”.

Sanu, who separated from Rita in 1994 and divorced in 2001, is seeking ₹50 crore in damages, alleging she made false claims about him through social media and interviews, harming his reputation and goodwill.

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My reputation is the result of years of dedication and my family should never have had to suffer because of the defamatory statements that affected my reputation and our dignity.

- Kumar Sanu