MUMBAI – Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi is facing a Rs300 million Indian rupee damages and defamation lawsuit filed by an aviation company over comments she made on social media about a chartered aircraft.
The case has been scheduled for hearing before a court in Gandhinagar on September 25.
According to the aviation company, the incident dates back to December last year, when Nora Fatehi travelled on a chartered flight from Mumbai to Jaipur. During the journey, the actress recorded videos inside the aircraft and later shared them on her Instagram account.
In her posts, Fatehi reportedly described the aircraft as a “small toy” and referred to it as a “Lego airplane.”
The aviation company has told the court that the actress’s comments were irresponsible and careless and had no basis in technical facts or the actual condition of the aircraft.
According to the petition, Fatehi has more than 46 million followers on social media, meaning her remarks received widespread attention and allegedly damaged the company’s reputation.
The company claimed that the incident affected its business operations, resulting in a 15 to 20 per cent decline in flight bookings and an increase in cancellations.
The aviation company has also maintained that the aircraft used by Fatehi was fully fit for passenger operations and had been duly certified by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). It said the aircraft was being operated in accordance with the prescribed safety and operational procedures.
Along with seeking Rs300 million in damages, the company has asked the court to order Fatehi to remove all allegedly defamatory videos and other material related to the aircraft from her social media accounts.
The company has also requested that the actress be directed to issue a public clarification regarding her comments.
The court is expected to hear the matter on September 25.
