The Bombay High Court recently heard a matter arising out of the ongoing dispute between Salman Khan and his Panvel neighbour, Ketan Kakkad. During the hearing, the court made notable remarks on the use of social media and the publication of allegations against public figures.
A single-judge bench led by Justice Sharmila Deshmukh questioned why individuals choose to raise grievances on social media instead of pursuing available legal or administrative remedies. The court observed that the existence of social media platforms does not grant anyone the right to post defamatory content about another person or celebrities.
The case concerns Kakkad, who owns land adjoining Salman Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel. During the proceedings, the court asked him to consider taking down social media posts directed at the actor.
Kakkad had previously accused Salman Khan of violating environmental norms and blocking access to his property. He had also claimed that authorities failed to act despite repeated complaints from his side. The matter will next be heard on July 6.
The current proceedings stem from an appeal filed by Salman Khan against a civil court order that refused to grant him interim relief in a defamation case.
In 2022, the actor filed a suit against Kakkad over several tweets, social media posts and YouTube videos connected to a property dispute between them. Khan argued that the content shared by Kakkad was defamatory and had the potential to create communal disharmony.
However, in earlier proceedings, the court had noted that the actor had not been able to demonstrate that one of the videos he objected to specifically referred to him.
