Shilpa Shetty has filed a court case against the UK-based Jasveer 'Jazz' Barton, who had falsely claimed to be her 'Agent', made commitments and even signed a deal on her behalf, while the actress was participating in the UK reality show 'Big Brother'.
"We have put up a case at the City Civil Court, Mumbai, asking for an injunction against Jazz Barton's untrue claims and demands," informed Shilpa's spokesperson and publicist Dale Bhagwagar.
"Now that Shilpa is world famous, Jazz has been trying to extract money from her. She has been sending her legal notices, seeking a cut from Shilpa's earnings," said Bhagwagar, and added, "Jazz's demands are ridiculous, as Shilpa does not have any contract or agreement with her in the first place. By going to court, Shilpa is just protecting herself from Jazz's illegal claims."
Jazz's misendeavours:
It can be recalled that Jazz Barton (along with Bobby Khan) was instrumental in introducing Shilpa Shetty to Endemol; the casting-agency for 'Big Brother'. When the UK media started addressing Jazz as Shilpa's 'Agent' and Bobby Khan as 'Manager', while Shilpa was still in the 'Big Brother' house, the Shetty's sensed Jazz was upto mischief by misguiding the media.
"Due to those incorrect media reports, business queries were being misdirected to Jazz. But when we learnt that Jazz had begun signing financial deals and making commitments on Shilpa's behalf, it had to be announced and clarified that she was not the official Agent," said Bhagwagar.
Jazz took offence to this and began using derogatory language for Shilpa and her mother Sunanda Shetty in UK media. She also tried insinuate a racism angle saying, she "would be deeply unhappy if Sunanda appointed a white Briton to represent Shilpa in the UK and worldwide".
"It was evident that much like the one in 'Big Brother', Jazz was trying to create another racist divide," says Bhagwagar. "In fact, she was behaving like Jade Goody Part 2".
Defamation and illicit demands
After slandering Shilpa in the western media, Jazz came down to Mumbai and gave derogatory statements against the actress and her mother Sunanda Shetty to the Indian media. On her visits to India, she was served two legal notices, after which, she hurriedly left the country. "Subsequently, there was an exchange of more legal notices with Jazz making illegal claims and monetary demands. Thus, Shilpa was left with no other alternative but to take legal action against Jazz Barton," said Bhagwagar.