Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi is facing a Rs 3 crore civil defamation suit filed by aviation company Dunes Aviation over remarks she allegedly made about one of its chartered aircraft.
The company filed the suit at a Gandhinagar court, where Senior Civil Judge R Agarwal is scheduled to hear the matter on September 25.
According to the lawsuit, Nora recorded videos aboard a Cessna Citation CJ2 during a Mumbai-Jaipur flight in December last year. She allegedly described the aircraft as “miniature”, a “toy” and a “Lego airplane” before posting the videos on Instagram.
Dunes Aviation has alleged that the remarks were made without technical knowledge or verification and caused damage to its reputation and business. The company claims the posts also contributed to booking cancellations.
The aviation firm further alleged that bookings have declined by 15 to 20% since the remarks, while cancellations have increased. It argued that Nora’s large social media following amplified the impact of her comments.
Dunes Aviation maintained that the aircraft was appropriately sized for the journey and had been certified by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). According to the company, the aircraft was airworthy and operating legally under a valid Non-Scheduled Operator’s Permit.
Alongside Rs 3 crore in damages, the company has asked the court to order the removal of social media posts containing the remarks or references to the aircraft.
Dunes Aviation has also sought a public clarification from Nora over the comments.