Filmmakers
Mahesh
Bhatt
and
Mukesh
Bhatt
have
made
a
statement
with
regard
to
the
allegations
leveled
against
them
by
actress
Luviena
Lodh.
They
have
denied
these
allegations
by
calling
them
'false'
and
'baseless'.
Luviena
has
claimed
to
be
a
relative
of
the
Bhatts'
and
has
further
accused
her
estranged
husband
Sumit
Sabharwal
of
being
involved
in
human
trafficking
and
drug
dealing.
She
has
also
claimed
that
she
has
been
harassed
by
Mahesh
Bhatt
and
has
said
that
if
something
happens
to
her,
then
the
Bhatts
are
to
be
held
responsible.
Their
statement
reads,
"As
a
public
figure,
we
have
accepted
that
one's
private
life
can
be
the
subject
matter
of
curiosity,
interest,
scrutiny
and
gossip,
often,
intense,
irresponsible
or
even
unfair.
we
have
regarded
this
as
an
occupational
hazard
and
a
part
and
parcel
of
life
and
therefore
exercised
great
restraint
in
engaging
with
or
responding
to,
the
same."
It
continues,
"We
have
however
recently
been
at
the
receiving
end
of
a
vicious
and
malicious
campaign
launched
by
Ms.
Luviena
Lodh
who
falsely
claims,
her
husband
to
be
our
nephew.
Ms.
Lodh
has,
since
2016,
been
engaged
in
a
matrimonial
dispute
with
her
husband
Mr.
Sumit
Sabherwal
who
works
for
our
company
Vishesh
Films.
She
has
also
been
served
recently
with
proceedings
for
evicting
her
from
a
residential
flat
which
she
is
occupying."
"She
has
therefore,
as
a
litigation
strategy,
decided
to
personally
target
us
and
members
of
our
family,
by
levelling
scurrilous
and
grossly
defamatory
allegations,
against
us,
in
the
hope
that
this
will
result
in
the
eviction
proceedings
not
being
pursued.
Towards
this
end,
Ms.
Luviena
Lodh
published
and
circulated,
on
her
Instagram
account,
a
video
making
grossly
defamatory,
false,
scurrilous
and
distasteful
allegations
against
us."
"Since
this
was
not
idle
gossip
but
a
malicious
attack,
we
both
were
constrained
to
file
a
defamation
suit
before
the
Hon'ble
Bombay
High
Court.
By
its
Order
dated
26th
October,
2020,
the
court
restrained
Ms.
Lodh
from
making
defamatory
statements
against
us
whether
by
way
of
circulating
the
said
video
or
otherwise
in
any
manner
whatsoever."
"In
complete
disregard
thereto,
Ms.
Lodh
has
continued
to
peddle
lies
and
falsehood
to
besmirch
our
reputation
and
malign
our
character.
In
her
desperation
to
escape
the
eviction
proceedings
she
held
a
press
conference,
where
she
reiterated
her
falsehood
and
even
misrepresented
the
court
order.
The
proceedings
of
the
Press
Conference
has
only
served
to
expose
what
her
real
agenda
is
-
use
attacks
on
us
and
our
family
as
a
quid
pro
quo
to
escape
eviction
proceedings."
"As
we
have
already
sought
and
secured
legal
protection
and
as
the
matter
is
sub-judice,
we
are
taking
legal
advice
on
the
further
course
of
action
to
adopt.
In
the
meanwhile,
we
are
making
this
statement
to
place
on
record
that
all
allegations
made
by
Ms.
Lodh
against
us
are
false,
incorrect
and
baseless.
We
are
confident
about
our
case
and
have
complete
faith
that
our
stand
will
be
judicially
vindicated.
We
are
confident
that
truth
will
prevail
and
unlike
her,
we
do
not
need
to
take
recourse
to
publicity
stunts
or
malicious
mud-slinging," it
concludes.