Rupali Ganguly files a criminal defamation complaint against her stepdaughter Esha Verma, confirms lawyer Sana Raees Khan

In November last year, Rupali Ganguly filed a ₹50 crore defamation suit against her stepdaughter, Esha Verma, in the Bombay High Court through her lawyer, Sana Raees Khan. We have now learnt that the Anupamaa actress has also initiated criminal defamation proceedings against Esha at the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, Andheri, with the application submitted on January 7. In addition to seeking punitive action against Esha for her alleged actions as per the provisions of law, the complaint seeks the appearance of the accused, trial of the accused, and imposition of punishment in accordance with the law for the offense of defamation as defined under Section 356 and other applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Lawyer Sana Raees Khan confirms, “Yes, we have filed a criminal defamation complaint following the civil one. Both remedies, civil and criminal, are being pursued. No individual should endure the trauma of public defamation without consequences for the perpetrator. This case underscores that justice is a shield against malicious attempts to harm one’s reputation.”
The Bombay High Court recently granted Rupali ad-interim relief, barring Esha from sharing defamatory content about her.
The controversy began when Esha accused Rupali of having an affair with her father, Ashish K. Verma, during his marriage to her mother, Sapna. Esha further alleged that Rupali was responsible for her parents’ separation, took her mother’s jewellery, and issued threats against her. These allegations, shared through interviews and social media, led Rupali to file the initial defamation suit on November 11.
In her notice, Rupali asserted that Esha’s actions had “tarnished her reputation, undermined her dignity, and adversely affected her career, causing significant financial losses.” She also demanded a public apology for dragging her young son into the matter and warned of further legal action if Esha failed to comply. Subsequently, Esha removed all posts related to Rupali from social media and set her Instagram account to private.