Mumbai Court Restrains Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap From Making Defamatory Statements Against Actor Salman Khan, His Family

A Civil Court in Mumbai on Friday (Jan 30) temporarily restrained filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap and two more persons related to a YouTube Channel from making or circulating or posting any defamatory statement against Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan and his family.

This comes after Khan urgently moved the civil court presided over by Judge Pandurang Bhosale seeking injunctiong against Kashyap, who recently gave an interview to YouTube Channel "Bollywood Thikana" and made objectionable comments against the actor and his family. The actor also sought similar reliefs against the Channel's owners Khusboo Hazare and Komal Mehru.

Judge Bhosale, after going through the statements made in the interview, prima facie, held that the same were defamatory.

"Prima facie these statements are defamatory, derogatory, abusive and insulting in nature. These statements lower the image of the plaintiff in the eyes of general public. The reputation of the plaintiff is harmed by the defendants no.1 to 3. These statements needs to be restrained and taken down from publishing and further circulating on social media or any other platform," Judge Bhosale said in the order.

In the ad-interim order, the judge said that nobody can make and nobody should make defamatory statements against the family of anybody. The judge also refused to accept Kashyap's contention that he has the right to free speech and expression.

"Each individual has his privacy to be protected and image to be protected. The right to freedom of speech and expression doesn't mean that one can use abusive and threatening language against any individual," the judge held.

The defamatory statements made by Kashyap and the interview taken by Mehru and Hazare needs to be directed to the injuncted from further posting, re-posting, communicating, uploading, printing, publishing, re-publishing, hosting, re-circulating till the appearance of all the defendants and filing their reply to the notice of motion.

"This is a fit case to pass ad-interim ex-parte orders against the defendants. Accordingly, I temporarily restrain the defendants from making, uploading videos, posting, re-posting, giving interviews, corresponding, communicating, uploading. printing, publishing, re-publishing, hosting, circulating or re-circulating any further defamatory/slanderous contains or making any further defamatory contents, derogatory remarks, posts, messages, tweets, videos, interviews, communications in relation to the plaintiff or his family on any social media platforms till they appear and file their reply. The plaintiff to communicate this order to all the defendants," the judge ordered.

Khan sought permanent injunction against the trio from making, uploading videos, posting, re-posting, giving interviews, corresponding, communicating. uploading, printing, publishing, re-publishing, hosting, further or any re-circulating circulating defamatory or slanderous contains or making any further defamatory contents, derogatory remarks, posts, messages, tweets, videos, interviews, communications in relation to the him or his family on any social media platforms.

Appearance:

Advocates PD Gandhy, Parag Khandhar, Chandrima Mitra, Tapan Radkar and Zara Dhanbhoora instructed by DSK Legal appeared for Salman Khan.

Advocate Parth Jain instructed by Jain Law Partners LLP represenred Abhinav Kashyap.

Advocates Ansh Agal, Aditi Pareek and Pranali Mitbhaokar instructed by Jain Law Partners LLP represenred Komal Mehru & Khushboo Hazare.

Advocates Amishi Sodani and Charu Shukla represented Google LLC.

Advocates Rishabh Jaisani, Richa Bharti and Abhishek Mookherjee instructed by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas represented Meta Platforms.

Case Title: Salman Khan vs Abhinav Kashyap

Click Here To Read/Download Order