Defamation by neighbours

The service lane of adjoint to the whole lane of residence has two gates constructed by the whole community one family and neighbour has parked there E rickshaw and claim that in name of security of the locality and as few water Motors have been robbed (with no FIR to prove it) these people have put on personal lock and have not given the keys to any member of the neighbourhood concerned whos water metres and Motors are fixed in the service Lane and they claim that they will not provide the keys to the lock easily to anybody in name of security and on an occasion they came rushing to our house around midnight abusing fighting etc as the lock had to be breaked for repair work of a motor which is the only source through which water can be fixed for the family and the lock was broked only after the father of this concerned neighbour said he is unable to find the keys as the rest of the family was away somewere and arrived the next day and we can break the lock later on when the family of this neibhour showed up just to fight the whole family of the neighbour abusive and were calling names to our family with the first of its kind incident ever in 20 years of a residence in the locality should I file a legal notice against this abusive neighbour for defamation