Summons to woman who said actor was murdered; reputation damaged, says Satish Kaushik’s wife

MUMBAI: A magistrate court has issued summons to a woman who had alleged that her estranged husband had murdered actor Satish Kaushik over a Rs 15-crore loan. The summons was issued following a complaint by the deceased actor's wife Shashi. The court said, prima facie, offences relating to defamation were involved.
The Delhi-based woman, Saanvi Malu, allegedly gave interviews to media claiming that her husband Vikas Malu had taken money in cash from his friend, Satish Kaushik, and had failed to repay it, leading to a quarrel and the murder.
Issuing summons to Saanvi and another accused Rajender Chabber, metropolitan magistrate AI Shaikh said, "Perused the complaint and evidence along with documents on record...prima face it appears the offence punishable under section... of the Indian Penal Code attracted against the accused..."
In her complaint submitted by advocate Madhukar Dalvi, Sashi alleged that the woman concocted a story to create an impression among the public that her husband dealt in large cash transactions. Chabber, a Delhi-based advocate, was also alleged to be involved in giving the interviews.
The matter will come up for hearing on June 15.
Sashi's complaint said Saanvi dropped innuendoes indicating that Kaushik was friends with gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his son. It was also submitted that doctors at Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital had concluded that the actor's death was due to cardiac arrest caused by coronary artery blockage associated with coronary artery disease and manner of death was natural and involved no foul play.
"On the face of it, remarks are per-se defamatory...broadcasted and published with a clear intent to cause permanent irreparable damage to the reputation, integrity, dignity, wellbeing and personal image that the complainant and her husband enjoved...having diligently worked hard for years to build such a reputation...the accused persons have undeniably have made themselves liable for criminal prosecution for defamation," the complaint said.
The complaint said even the actor's business associates, after seeing the interview, had initially considered severing ties with Sashi. "The complainant somehow could however...convince them that the said allegations are absolutely false and derogatory," the complaint said. It said Satish Kaushik was a successful film director, producer, actor and screen writer in films and theatre.