In 2008, Bollywood actor Preity Zinta, Indian businessman Ness Wadia, and several other prominent investors acquired ownership rights in the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab, that later became the Punjab Kings. Zinta became the youngest owner of an IPL team as well as the first female to have such a role.
At one stage, Zinta and Wadia were involved in a romantic relationship, but by 2014 this had cooled and they were just business colleagues. Unfortunately, relations between the two took a marked turn for the worse after a heated row erupted over seats for an IPL match.
Wadia arrived with his family, including his mother, for match at the Wankhede Stadium in May. The match was already in progress, and Zinta and her contingent, including the family of South African cricketer David Miller, were occupying the front row.
At that point Wadia insisted that he had reserved the front row for his party and requested the Punjab’s Operating Officer Fraser Castellino to arrange the seats to be vacated for his family.
Zinta refused, which infuriated Wadia and the pair exchanged insults. The bickering continued as their team was defeating Chennai Super Kings, and continued as the pair were leaving the stadium. Barbed words were exchanged.
Zinta later spoke to IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal about Wadia’s behaviour. Although no official complaint was recorded with the BCCI, the local police got involved. They asked anybody sitting in the vicinity of the warring factions to provide information as to what they had seen.
Zinta further raised the stakes when she accused Wadia of threatening to take her life. A case was filed against Wadia on several counts, including outraging a woman’s modesty, breach of peace, and criminal intimidation.
The case eventually ended up in the Bombay High Court in 2018 where it was dismissed, although the presiding judges did instruct the two parties to settle such matters between themselves. They still serve as co-owners of the Punjab franchise, but make sure to sit far apart at matches.