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Two separate legal notices were issiued to actress Celina Jaitly regarding what the family alleges to be a sustained campaign of false, defamatory, misleading, and sensationalized statements circulated through social media platforms, digital publications, and various media outlets in India and abroad, confirmed Semwal & Co., Advocates and Solicitors, Mumbai, acting on behalf of of Peter Haag and his father, DI Wolfgang J. Haag.
The first legal notice has been issued on behalf of DI Wolfgang J. Haag, father of Peter Haag and paternal grandfather of the minor children, while the second notice has been issued by Peter Haag in his personal capacity and in protection of the privacy, welfare, and interests of the couple's three minor children, according to the press release. According to the notices, matrimonial and child custody-related proceedings between the parties are currently pending before competent courts in Austria. Despite the ongoing judicial process, the notices allege that various public statements, interviews, social media narratives, and media publications containing unverified and defamatory allegations against Peter Haag and members of the Haag family have been circulated in recent months. The notices state that the family had consciously refrained from engaging in public commentary for a considerable period, hoping that private matrimonial disputes and matters concerning the children would not become the subject of public spectacle or media sensationalism. However, they contend that the continued publication and amplification of such allegations has necessitated formal legal intervention, according to the press release. The legal notices address allegations that have appeared in media reports and public statements portraying Peter Haag as abusive, violent, manipulative, and emotionally oppressive. These include allegations relating to domestic violence, emotional abuse, intimidation, harassment, concealment or relocation of the children, alleged "brainwashing" of the children, and issues concerning religion and radicalisation. The family categorically disputes and denies all such allegations. A significant concern highlighted in the notices is the impact of the ongoing publicity on the three minor children. According to the family, repeated public discussion of the children, including publication of their names, photographs, and personal narratives, has caused emotional distress and exposed them to unnecessary public scrutiny during sensitive and ongoing proceedings. The notices emphasise that matters involving children should be handled with utmost privacy and sensitivity and should not be subjected to parallel media trials. The notices further stated that the alleged acts amount to defamation under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, publication of malicious falsehoods, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and interference with the administration of justice through prejudicial public commentary concerning pending proceedings. Among the demands made in the notices are an immediate cessation of defamatory publications, removal of offending content, issuance of a public clarification and unconditional apology, and restraint from making further statements concerning the ongoing judicial proceedings and the minor children. The notices also call upon media organisations and digital platforms to refrain from publishing or amplifying unverified allegations. Commenting on the matter, Solicitor Yesha Shah, Partner at Semwal & Co., stated, "Laws enacted for the protection of women are among the most important safeguards in a civilised society. However, when matrimonial disputes are converted into public media trials through unverified allegations and emotional narratives, the very sanctity and purpose of such laws stand diluted. Legal remedies must remain instruments of justice and protection, and not tools for public vilification or reputational destruction." The clients have stated that in the event of non-compliance with the demands contained in the legal notices, they reserve the right to initiate appropriate civil and criminal proceedings, including claims for damages, compensation, and injunctive relief before competent courts of law. The family further stated that their primary concern remains the emotional wellbeing, dignity, privacy, and protection of the minor children, and that no further public comment will be made at this stage due to the pendency of proceedings before Austrian courts, according to the press release. (ANI)
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