21th April 2023, Mumbai: Honey Singh, the rapper, has responded to allegations of kidnapping and assault made against him by Vivek Ravi Raman, the owner of Festivina Music Festival. Singh has denied the accusations, deeming them as ‘false’ and ‘baseless’. He further declared his intention to take legal action against the ‘miscreants’ by filing a defamation case.
On Wednesday, Raman lodged a complaint with the Mumbai police, claiming that he had been kidnapped, held captive, and subjected to physical assault by Singh and his crew members due to a disagreement about an event cancellation. The police have not yet registered a First Information Report (FIR) related to the incident.
In a post on his Instagram account, Honey Singh stated that the accusations made against him were completely false and had no basis. He clarified that there was no association or agreement between his company and the complainant, contrary to what the media was reporting. He mentioned that he was hired for the Mumbai Show by Tribevibe, a well-known company and a sister concern of Bookmyshow, and had performed within the permitted time. Singh believed that the allegations were fabricated and aimed to defame him. He further stated that his legal team was already working on initiating a defamation lawsuit against those responsible for making such false claims.
On April 15, Vivek Ravi Raman arranged a music festival named Yo Yo Honey Singh 3.0 under the banner of Festivina at MMRDA Grounds in BKC. Raman narrated that on the day of the festival, he went to the location and got into a dispute with some vendors about non-payment. As Raman was awaiting payment from the event’s ticket-selling partner, which he did not receive on time, he cancelled the festival and informed the management teams of all the artists.
Following the cancellation of the event, Honey Singh and his team reportedly became angry and physically assaulted Raman. The police have received the complaint and are currently investigating the matter. As of now, no formal FIR has been registered against any individuals involved.