Roshni Act Fiasco: Mehbooba Mufti serves Rs 10 Crore defamation notice to Satya Pal Malik

Srinagar, Oct 22: Former Chief Minister and President Peoples Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti has served a legal notice to former J&K Governor and incumbent Meghalya Governor Satyapal Malik for levelling defamatory allegations against her.

Satya Pal Malik recently had claimed that Farooq Abdullah had brought Roshni Act in Jammu and Kashmir and all politicians including Mehbooba Mufti were benefited from that Act.

Mehbooba Mufti in response to Malik’s utterances had tweeted: “False & unsavoury utterances of Satya Pal Malik about me being a beneficiary of Roshni Act is highly mischievous. My legal team is preparing to sue him. He has the option to withdraw his comments failing which I will pursue legal recourse.”

Today Mehbooba Mufti through her Counsel Anil Sethi served a legal notice to Satya Pal Malik.

The counsel in the legal notice has accused Satya Pal Malik of defaming her client (Mehbooba Mufti) and have levelled scandalous and serious allegations against her with the sole objective of tarnishing her otherwise politically neat and clean image. “It is a fact that my client has never been beneficiary of State land under Roshni Act.”

“All the allegations in the video clip are vexatious, false, motivated and incorrect and this fact is known to you as well.”

“The legal notice further reads that although no amount of money can compensate my client for the loss of reputation and good name which loss has been caused by your conduct, yet my client has decided to sue you for claiming compensation / damages for loss of reputation and good name earned by her and for establishing that the allegations levelled you are incorrect and false and have been levelled at a juncture which hints at a political collusion behind the speech made by you.”

“By virtue of this Legal Notice, I, therefore, call upon you to pay compensatory damages to my client to the extent of Rs. 10 crores within 30 days of receipt of this Legal Notice. This amount of damages/ compensation is not supposed to be utilized by my client for her personal gains and benefits but shall be donated and utilized for public good,” the notice reads.

“Please treat this Legal Notice in terms of Section 80 CPC and further legal consequences shall follow in case of non-compliance of the demand made herein.” (KNT)