MUMBAI, Dec. 29 -- The Bombay High Court has issued a notice to Rita Bhattacharjee, the estranged wife of playback singer Kumar Sanu, in a defamation case filed by the singer over content on social media and interviews. Sanu, who separated from Bhattacharjee in 1994 and divorced her in 2001, has sought Rs.50 crore in damages for the "incessant defamatory acts of posting, publishing, circulating and spreading false imputations of him". He claimed that she has tarnished his reputation and goodwill in the public domain. Sanu told the court that Bhattacharjee had given several interviews to YouTube channels in September 2025, where she allegedly made false and baseless statements, attacking his personality, conduct and his character. He added that despite sending legal notices to several platforms, the videos are accessible to millions of viewers, and has caused him and his family severe mental distress. The suit, filed in November, through advocate Sana Raees Khan, highlighted that Sanu, a well-known playback singer for over 42 years, is one of the most respected and distinguished figures in the music fraternity, and has earned the title of "Melody King of Bollywood". Sanu called Bhattacharjee's conduct "not just violative of the consent terms entered between them during the divorce but also a calculated move for seeking public sympathy and attention". Stating that Bhattacharjee has even called him a "criminal" in one of her interviews, he said that these statements amounted to "character assasination" and were an attack on his dignity. Sanu has asked the court to permanently restrain Bhattacharjee and her representatives from sharing any defamatory statements against him. He has also sought directions to social media platforms, including Google and Meta, to stop circulating such content. The court will hear the matter on January 14....