Mumbai: Actress Khushi Mukherjee has been slapped with a Rs 100 crore defamation case over her controversial remarks about Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.
The legal action was initiated on January 13 by Mumbai-based social media influencer Faizan Ansari. He filed a complaint at the Ghazipur police station in Uttar Pradesh, leading to an FIR, and is pursuing a civil defamation suit seeking Rs 100 crore in damages. Ansari alleges that Mukherjee’s statements were false, baseless, and deliberately made as a publicity stunt to gain attention, thereby harming the reputation of a nationally respected sportsperson like Yadav.
The controversy stems from remarks Mukherjee made during a media interaction late last year. When asked about dating cricketers, she stated she had no interest in doing so, claiming “there are so many cricketers after me.” She specifically named Suryakumar Yadav, saying he “used to message me a lot” in the past, though they no longer communicate much and she did not wish to be associated with him or any link-ups.
In response to the ensuing backlash and viral spread of her comments on social media, Mukherjee issued clarifications in multiple interviews, including with NDTV and other outlets. She emphasised that there was never any romantic involvement with Yadav—the interactions were purely friendly and casual—and that her words had been misinterpreted or sensationalised. She questioned why friendly conversations couldn’t occur, adding that they had not been in touch recently, including after the controversy arose. She also reportedly mentioned her social media account had been compromised at one point and expressed support for Yadav and Team India ahead of upcoming events.
Ansari, describing himself as a fan of Yadav, has been vocal about the matter. He emphasised that an FIR should be registered against Mukherjee without delay based on his complaint, even calling for a jail term of at least 7 years over the alleged comments. He further declared that he will continue to press for action against her and vowed to remain in Ghazipur city until justice is delivered, underscoring his determination to pursue the matter to its conclusion.
