Lulu Group has said it will not withdraw any of the defamation cases it has filed against individuals accused of spreading false allegations against the company and its chairman, M.A. Yusuff Ali, even if those accused have issued public apologies.

V. Nandakumar, Director of Global Marketing & Communications at Lulu Group, told Khaleej Times that the group has complete faith in the Indian judicial system and will pursue every legal remedy available. "This is not about silencing criticism. It is about protecting the truth," Nandakumar said.

Cases across three states

The group has initiated legal proceedings in courts across Kerala, Lucknow and Delhi against those it believes are responsible for spreading fake news and malicious allegations. Nandakumar said the group's position is clear; it will not backtrack, nor will it withdraw these cases.

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The legal action follows a defamation suit filed by Yusuff Ali seeking Rs100 million (approximately Dh4 million) in damages for loss of reputation. The Delhi High Court had earlier directed the editor of an online Malayalam news portal to remove defamatory content published against the LuLu chairman, and restrained the individual from making further comments about Yusuff Ali on any platform. A separate defamation case was also filed before the Ernakulam Sub Court in Kerala.

The accused individual had publicly apologised in late October, saying his remarks were incorrect and that he was withdrawing them. The allegations were linked to a gold smuggling case and were published in a video in November 2020.

Nandakumar said the apologies are the accused person's personal matter and the group has nothing further to say on them. He stressed that the group will not accept any out-of-court settlement.

"When someone claims to have recorded an apology, that is their own claim," Nandakumar said. "We will continue legally. We will not allow even a grain of false allegation against the brand or the chairman."

He said likes, clicks and shares are what drive such allegations and fake news.

'Not just a business'

Nandakumar said Lulu is not just a business but a home for more than 75,000 employees.

"We have built this organisation over decades on trust, integrity and hard work, and we hold these values very close to our hearts," he said. "We will always welcome fair criticism and differing opinions. But deliberate falsehoods and malicious attacks on our reputation will never go unchallenged."

The group reiterated that it fully respects freedom of speech and everyone's right to express opinions, question decisions or criticise activities. However, it drew a clear distinction between legitimate criticism and deliberately spreading fake news, false allegations and misinformation with malicious intentions.

"We have zero tolerance for any such attempts to malign the reputation of Lulu, our organisation or our Chairman," Nandakumar said.