Anjana Mishra files Rs 10 cr defamation case against web series ‘Barang 1999’

Bhubaneswar: Anjana Mishra (Padhi), the survivor of a gangrape incident in 1999, has filed a defamation suit against OTT platform Kanccha Lannka in connection with web series ‘Barang 1999’.

Anjana (55) filed the defamation suit at Bhubaneswar Senior Division Civil Judge’s court today and sought Rs 10 crore as damages from the OTT platform for defaming her through the web series.

Anjana had earlier served legal notice on Kanncha Lannka, the OTT platform’s cofounder-cum-managing director Bibhu Prasad Rath, cofounder-cum-executive director Chitta Ranjan Nayak, Camera Queen Production, its founder Himadri Tanaya Das, YouTube India, Facebook developed by Meta, and the managing director and editor of Argus Pratham Broadcast India Private Limited in connection with the web series.

Anjana had served the legal notice through her advocate Bibhu Prasad Tripathy.

“The trailer of the web series ‘Barang 1999’ made false and defamatory descriptions of the gangrape incident with an intention of harming the reputation of Anjana Mishra,” Tripathy had said.

The trailer of the web series was widely circulated through social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, he added.

“All the noticees are jointly and severally liable for damages caused to my client. The trailer of the web series has concocted versions of the incident but the makers of the web series have just changed the gangrape survivor’s name to ‘Amrita Padhi’,” Tripathy claimed.

While serving the legal notice, Anjana had asked Kanccha Lannka and other noticees to take down the web series ‘Barang 1999’ from OTT platform and all social media sites within 72 hours.

She had threatened to initiate appropriate civil and criminal proceedings against the noticees if they fail to comply with the legal notice.