Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi is facing a Rs3 crore civil defamation suit from an aviation company over remarks she allegedly made about one of its chartered aircraft on social media.
Dunes Aviation filed the lawsuit at a Gandhinagar court in April. Senior Civil Judge R Agarwal is scheduled to hear the case on 25 September.
The dispute stems from videos Nora allegedly filmed aboard a Cessna Citation CJ2 during a Mumbai-Jaipur flight in December last year.
In the clips, she reportedly referred to the aircraft as a miniature plane, a “toy” and a “Lego airplane” before posting the footage on Instagram.
Dunes Aviation claims the actor made the remarks without proper technical knowledge or verification and that her comments harmed the company’s reputation and business.
According to the company, the posts contributed to booking cancellations and a subsequent 15 to 20 per cent decline in bookings.
It also argued that Nora’s substantial social media following increased the reach and commercial impact of her comments.
The aviation firm has rejected any suggestion that the aircraft was unsuitable for the journey. It said the Cessna Citation CJ2 was appropriately sized, certified by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and declared airworthy.
The company also said it operated the aircraft legally under a valid Non-Scheduled Operator’s Permit.
Alongside Rs3 crore in damages, Dunes Aviation has asked the court to order the removal of social media posts containing Nora’s comments or references to the aircraft.
The company has also sought a public clarification from the actor over the remarks.
The court is expected to consider the company’s claims when the matter comes up for hearing on 25 September.
