Abu Duabi: “We welcome criticism, but won’t allow misinformation to go unchallenged,” LuLu Group has said as it presses ahead with a ₹10 crore (approximately Dh3.9 million) defamation case against Malayalam YouTuber Marunadan Malayalee, making clear it has no intention of settling the dispute out of court.
The case, filed by LuLu Group and its chairman M.A. Yusuffali, centres on allegations made in a YouTube video published in November 2020 that linked the UAE-based businessman and his retail empire to Kerala's high-profile diplomatic baggage gold-smuggling scandal.
Six years after the video was published, the dispute remains before the courts, despite the publisher subsequently posting a video withdrawing his earlier remarks. The legal battle has particular resonance among Malayalees in the UAE, where Yusuffali is a prominent business figure and LuLu Group has a substantial workforce and retail presence.
V. Nandakumar, Director of Marketing and Communications at LuLu Group International, told Gulf News that the company would continue to pursue the matter through the courts.
“We have immense respect for India's judicial system and are committed to addressing these matters strictly through the legal process,” Nandakumar said.
“Proceedings have already been initiated in courts in Kerala, Lucknow and Delhi against individuals we believe have engaged in such activities.
