Asim Riaz has taken legal action against social media influencer Bhavya Singh following allegations made about him during a podcast. The Bigg Boss 13 fame has issued a formal cease-and-desist legal notice to Bhavya, who appeared on MTV Splitsvilla 12, as well as media platforms that circulated the remarks.
According to IANS, the notice was sent through Asim's legal representative and accuses Bhavya of making statements that the actor says are false, unverified, and harmful to his reputation.
The dispute relates to comments about Asim's past relationship with actor Himanshi Khurana.
What Bhavya Singh Said
During the podcast, Bhavya spoke about Asim and Himanshi's relationship and claimed that she had previously heard allegations about the reason behind their breakup.
As mentioned in the legal notice, she said, "mereko bohot time pehle ye baat sunne ko ayi thi, maine pucha tha kisi se ki Asim aur Himanshi ka breakup kyu hua toh kisi ne bola ki 'bhai wo pagal aadmi hai, maarta peetta tha, bada hi bekar aadmi hai (I heard about this a long time ago. I had asked someone why Asim and Himanshi broke up, and someone said, Bro, he is a crazy guy, he used to hit her, he is a really bad person)".
According to the notice, Bhavya subsequently linked these alleged claims to later events and referred to the alleged existence of a video involving the actor.
The legal notice also alleges that statements made during the podcast suggested that Asim was financially dependent on an unidentified woman and was allegedly "living upon" her money in Dubai.
Asim Riaz Denies Allegations
Asim's legal counsel has rejected the claims and said the statements wrongly portray the actor as someone who had physically assaulted Himanshi.
The notice states, "Our Client states that the aforesaid publication contains statements made by Noticee No. 1 (Bhavya Singh) which falsely and seriously impute our Client acts of physical violence against Ms. Himanshi Khurana and further impute that our Client is financially dependent upon an unidentified woman and is allegedly 'living upon' such woman's money in Dubai".
Asim has described the allegations as false and damaging to his public image, reputation and professional career.
Advocate Suhail Shariff, Partner at Falcon Legal, said, "Our client will not permit any defamatory or legally actionable statements against him. A formal cease-and-desist notice has been issued, and appropriate legal action shall follow in case of non-compliance".
Through the notice, Bhavya has been asked to stop making or repeating any statements that Asim considers defamatory or legally actionable. The media outlets that published or shared the podcast and related material have also been asked to take down the disputed content.
The recipients have been given 72 hours to comply with the notice. Legal counsel has warned that failure to do so could result in further legal proceedings before the appropriate courts and authorities.
ALSO READ: 'Have Suffered Violence': Himanshi Khurana Warns Asim Riaz Amid Ongoing Controversy
