Mehul Choksi sends legal notice to makers of proposed movie ' File no 323' and Suneil Shetty

New Delhi [India], November 19 : Mehul Choksi, a fugitive Indian-born businessman living in Antigua and Barbuda has sent a legal notice to makers and actors including Suniel Shetty of the proposed movie 'File no 323'.
The notice has been sent through Choksi's Delhi Lawyer Ayush Jindal in respect of the proposed movie titled "File No. 323" directed by Karthik K and the article titled "Director Karthik K to roll pan-India movie focusing on financial scams of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi" authored by Upala KBR and Fenil Seta published in various media.
It is stated in the notice, "Choksi is a well-known businessman. He was the promoter of Gitanjali Gems Ltd. He has been falsely accused of various crimes in India that are presently under investigation or standing trial by and before various authorities and courts."
"'File No 323', which is reportedly based on the life of Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and other Indian millionaires embroiled in alleged financial scams and criminal cases," the notice stated.
"My client has already been defamed by the baseless allegations and stories that have been routed through the news media regarding his alleged involvement in a "financial scam" and "File No. 323" continues to allege misdeeds on the part of my Client, despite the fact that no court of law has reached a final conclusion upon his involvement in the matter," Advocate Ayush Jindal said through legal notice.
"The Proposed Movie as well as the published articles are part of a mala-fide, vicious and vexatious campaign to tarnish the reputation of my client by linking him to alleged frauds committed by Nirav Modi and lumping my client in the same category as Vijay Mallya," the notice stated.
"I am constrained to issue this Cease and Desist Notice to you, after receiving information about a proposed movie titled "File No. 323" as published in article, titled, "Director Karthik K to roll pan-India movie focusing on financial scams of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi", the notice read,
This proposed movie is slated to begin the process of filming and production from November 2022, as alleged in the articles.
The proposed movie is allegedly based on the life of my client and yet you, the noticees, at no point in time, made any endeavor to contact my client for either his permission or his inputs.
Needless to state that the proposed movie being made is unauthorized and without the consent of my client. Notably, the Authors, Publishers and Promotors of the above-mentioned articles also did not make any effort to determine the veracity of claims being made therein, the notice claims.
The notice says that Choksi apprehends that the Proposed Movie by you, the Noticees, is being made in a reckless disregard with the truth. Notably, Karthik K. admits in the Articles that the Proposed Movie is a dramatized version of events.
It is therefore, nothing but a piggy backing exercise to ride the wave of sensationalism surrounding my Client's name in the alleged frauds. This severely prejudices my Client's rights to a reputation, privacy, and a free and fair investigation and trial in the various cases pending against him, the notice says.
It is informed that my Client has already faced considerable
disparagement on account of the release of the documentary titled "Bad Boys Billionaires" on 02.09.2020, now available worldwide on the OTT platform Netflix, the notice says.
Litigation in respect of the same is pending before the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi in Mehul Choksi v. Union of India, it added.
In the event you fail to comply with this Notice, you shall render yourselves jointly and severally liable to face appropriate civil as well as criminal proceedings under the relevant provisions of law at your risk as to cost and consequences, the notice says.