Laxmi Kant Tiwari Buys SonyBravia.com Over TV Warranty Dispute, Then Receives INR 5 Crore Legal Notice

A warranty dispute over a INR 1,50,031 Sony Bravia television has escalated into a legal confrontation after consumer Laxmi Kant Tiwari said Sony India sent him a six-page legal notice demanding that he remove online posts and a website documenting his complaint. According to Tiwari’s account, the notice, sent on September 1, threatened civil and criminal action and damages “to the tune of INR 5 crores” if its demands were not met.

Tiwari says his 55-inch Sony BRAVIA K-55XR70 Mini LED television developed vertical lines in July 2026, around 22 months after he bought it. He says the television was covered by Sony’s three-year warranty and that the company later classified the failure as “damage[d] due to external cause”. Sony’s position, as described in the consumer’s published material, is being disputed by Tiwari, who says he repeatedly asked for evidence showing what physical damage caused the failure. What is JioPC? Know All About Reliance Jio's Standalone Cloud Platform; Check Prices, Plans and How It Works.

Laxmi Kant Tiwari Claims INR 5 Crore Legal Notice From Sony India Over Bravia Warranty Dispute

@Sony @sony_india sent me a ₹5 crore legal notice. Delete the videos, delete the site, apologise in 7 days.

My apology. You will be known as 'Sorry Bravia'

The video they want deleted: https://t.co/z9t29s7yLS

What they demand, and where I stand: https://t.co/llRpH1zXoP pic.twitter.com/R9fxJCS7ZP

— Laxmi Kant (@laxmimerit) September 2, 2026

How The Sony Bravia Warranty Dispute Started

According to the timeline published by Tiwari, he bought the BRAVIA K-55XR70 on September 20, 2024, for INR 1,50,031. He says Sony’s warranty provided three years of coverage for the television. He also purchased a two-year extended warranty from Croma for INR 20,789, according to the information published on his website.

The display problem reportedly appeared on July 2, 2026, when vertical lines began appearing on the screen. Tiwari says the television had remained wall-mounted and had not been dropped, knocked or moved. His website describes the panel as having “No dent, no crack, no scratch”. Philips S7221 5G Price in India, Specifications and Features Revealed; Check All About New Philips Smartphone.

A technician subsequently visited his home and photographed the television. Tiwari says the photographs were sent to another team for assessment and that Sony later rejected the warranty claim, classifying the panel as having been damaged by an external cause. The website says Sony subsequently gave him a repair estimate of INR 29,130.

“I Asked Sony For Two Months To Show Me The Proof”

The central issue raised by Tiwari is not simply that the television developed vertical lines. He says he repeatedly asked Sony to explain what physical damage had led it to reject the warranty claim. On his public profile, Tiwari wrote: “I asked Sony for two months to show me the proof behind ‘external damage’."

His website records similar questions about what test was conducted and what specific damage had been identified. “What test did you do? What damage do you mean?" reads the account of the questions he says he put to Sony. According to the website, Tiwari says he received responses but did not receive the technical report or evidence he was requesting.

The website reproduces Sony’s rejection wording as: “...the Display panel has been damage due to external cause... Photograph attached for your reference.” Tiwari disputes whether a photograph showing a malfunctioning screen establishes the cause of the failure. “A photo of a dead screen proves the screen is dead. It does not prove who broke it, or what broke it." That statement is presented by Tiwari as the central issue in the warranty dispute.

Consumer Alleges INR 10,000 Cash Offer

The website also contains an allegation concerning the technician’s July 3 visit. Tiwari alleges that the technician offered to have the television covered under warranty in exchange for INR 10,000 in cash. The website presents the following as his recollection of the alleged conversation:

“Agar aap 10k do, to warranty me cover karwa dunga, turant. Nahi to humne photo upload kar di hai. Sony wale aapko batayenge ki warranty milegi ki nahi." The website says the allegation was subsequently reported to Sony in writing. However, the allegation remains an account by the consumer and has not been established by a court or other independent finding. It should not be treated as a proven fact. Tiwari’s website also says that he offered to provide Sony with details about the alleged conversation.

Sony India Legal Notice

The dispute took a new turn on September 1, 2026, when Tiwari says he received a legal notice from Rise Legal, New Delhi, representing Sony India Private Limited. According to the legal-notice page published by Tiwari, the notice demanded that he remove and permanently delete his YouTube video, X posts and website. It also demanded an unconditional apology within seven days.

The website quotes the notice as demanding: “Immediately remove and permanently delete” the material. It also quotes the demand that he “Tender an unconditional apology”. According to the consumer’s account of the notice, failure to comply would lead to “legal actions both civil and criminal”, including damages “to the tune of INR 5 crores.”

These are the demands described and quoted by the consumer from the legal notice. A legal notice is not a court judgment and does not establish that either party is legally right or wrong.

Why The Consumer Created SonyBravia.com

Tiwari created a dedicated website, SonyBravia.com, to publish his account of the dispute. The site contains a timeline covering the television purchase, the appearance of the display fault, service visits, correspondence with Sony and the subsequent legal notice. It also publishes photographs and other material that Tiwari says relate to the case.

The website now describes itself as “Sorry Bravia” and says it is a personal consumer-awareness account. It states that it is not affiliated with Sony, sells nothing and carries no advertising. It also invites Sony, its service partner or anyone featured on the website to submit corrections or a response, which it says will be published unedited.

“Show Us The Evidence And We Will Publish It”

Following the legal notice, Tiwari says he does not intend to remove the website or apologise. His website states: “Show us the evidence and we publish it here, unedited, within 72 hours." The site also says his consumer complaint has been filed and remains pending. Tiwari says he has invited Sony to have the disputed panel examined by a laboratory through the consumer proceedings.

His position is that the dispute should ultimately turn on evidence about what caused the panel failure. Sony’s reported legal position, meanwhile, concerns the online material and the demands contained in its legal notice. The legal dispute over the website is separate from the underlying warranty complaint.

Consumer Complaint Remains Pending

Tiwari says he filed a consumer complaint before the legal notice was sent and that the matter remains pending. That means there has not yet been a final consumer-forum ruling establishing whether the television failure should have been covered under warranty or whether Sony was justified in classifying it as external damage.

The same distinction applies to the allegations surrounding the technician and the legal notice. Claims published by the consumer represent his account unless independently established. As of the latest information published on the case website, Tiwari says the complaint remains pending and the website remains online.

What The Dispute Could Mean For Consumers

The case highlights the importance of retaining invoices, warranty documents, photographs of expensive electronics and correspondence with service providers when a warranty dispute arises.

It also illustrates the difference between a consumer complaint and a separate legal dispute over public statements. A consumer forum may determine whether a warranty claim was properly rejected, while questions surrounding alleged defamation, trademark rights or removal of online material would involve separate legal considerations.

For now, the key unresolved issue in Tiwari’s account remains his question about the basis for Sony’s external-damage assessment: “Where is the physical damage?" Whether Sony provides additional technical evidence, whether the consumer forum issues a ruling and whether the dispute over the website proceeds further remain to be seen.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2026 08:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).