Sanju: Abu Salem sends legal notice to makers of Sanjay Dutt biopic for causing him 'pain and disrepute'

Gangster Abu Salem, who is currently languishing in Indian jail, has sent a legal notice to the makers of _Sanju_ , according to a report by the Times of India. According to the report, Salem stated he has been erroneously depicted in the film which has caused him ‘pain and disrepute’. The notice has been sent through lawyer Prashant Pandey to Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Fox Star Studios, and states that Salem did not meet actor Sanjay Dutt nor supply arms and ammunition to the actor as portrayed in the film. According to the Times of India report, the notice stated, “The scene where Ranbir Kapoor (pictured as Sanjay Dutt) gives a confessional statement about possession of arms and ammunition during communal tension around our country in 1993, is defaming my client (Salem), as my client never supplied the arms and ammunition, as alleged to Sanjay Dutt, as pictured in the film.” [caption id=“attachment_4835011” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Abu Salem and Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju/Image from Twitter.[/caption] A News18 report further states, “All allegations leveled in the scenes are preposterous, absurd, ridiculous and libelous in character. The baseless allegations made in the film have injured my client’s reputation, lowered him in the eyes of others and exposed him to ridicule and dislike. Falsity of allegations to the point reveals concerted effort and malicious plan to malign my client unjustly to defame him. Contents of the film are extremely insinuating, disparaging and defamatory attacking the reputation of my client.” Salem is currently serving life sentence for his involvement in the 1993 Bombay blast case. The notice has sought financial compensation for causing harm and disrepute to Salem, and has demanded elimination of the scene. Salem has also sought publishing of an apology for the ‘malicious and scandalous scene’, failing which Salem’s lawyer will move for legal action.