Mumbai, February 19, 2026: In an extraordinary turn of events blending high-stakes litigation with human drama, the Bombay High Court has taken the unusual step of directing estranged couple Kumar Sanu and Rita Bhattacharya to collaboratively draft the language of a public apology. The directive, issued by Justice Milind Jadhav, aims to defuse a legal battle involving a Rs 50 crore defamation claim.
The order came after Bhattacharya's counsel communicated her willingness to apologise to the singer, with Sanu's team responding that a public apology circulated through the media would be sufficient grounds to consider withdrawing the defamation suit filed in December. The court asked both sides to “work out mutually acceptable language for the apology without prejudice to their respective rights and contentions” — meaning it cannot be used as an admission of guilt in any other forum.
The Defamation Claim. The dispute traces to media interviews given by Rita Bhattacharya in September 2025, which Sanu — whose registered name is Sanu Kumar Bhattacharjee — alleged were maliciously designed to tarnish his decades-long reputation. The interviews were widely circulated online, amassing over 1.5 million views, allegedly causing cancelled shows and a slump in business offers. Central to Sanu's argument is a 2001 divorce settlement his lawyers say included a covenant preventing either party from levelling allegations against the other.
The court had earlier passed an interim order restraining Bhattacharya from making further “contentious statements” against the singer, describing her media remarks as a “tirade” and barring interviews across print, electronic, and social media while the matter remained sub judice.
The Human Element. Outside court, Bhattacharya, mother of Sanu's three adult sons, expressed disbelief at the scale of the claim: “I'm shocked. He is filing a case against the mother of his three grown-up sons... I don't know how Sanu is dreaming that I have so much money. It is really sad,” she said, appealing to him to “at least don't disturb us and don't harass us anymore.”
The matter has been adjourned to allow both sides time to finalise the apology's text. If successful, it could pave the way for withdrawal of the Rs 50 crore claim; if not, the case reverts to a full trial examining the 2001 settlement and the extent of alleged damages.
