Bombay High Court Suggests Salman Khan’s Panvel Farmhouse Neighbour Delete Social Media Posts Against Him

The Bombay High Court has advised actor Salman Khan’s neighbour to think about deleting social media posts linked to their Panvel property dispute. The court said access to social media does not give any person the right to post defamatory content. This applies even when the content targets a celebrity. The hearing took place in Mumbai on Thursday.

The case involves Ketan Kakkad, who owns land next to Salman Khan’s farmhouse at Panvel. Kakkad has posted videos and other material online about the actor. Khan says these posts are defamatory and hurt his reputation. He also says some content is communally provocative. These points are part of his plea.

Neighbour’s claims over Panvel farmhouse

Kakkad has alleged that Salman Khan violated environmental rules during the farmhouse construction. He has also claimed that access to his own property was blocked. Kakkad says he went to the authorities with these issues. He alleges that no action was taken on his complaints. These claims were mentioned before the court.

In response, Salman Khan filed a defamation suit in a city civil court. He said Kakkad had uploaded videos and posts about the farmhouse activities. Khan said these posts were false and defamatory. He asked for the videos to be removed. He also sought an order stopping similar future comments.

Why go to social media, asks court

The city civil court had refused to grant the requested relief. Khan then moved the Bombay High Court. Justice Sharmila Deshmukh heard the matter on Thursday. She questioned the need to upload such content online. She asked why people avoid approaching proper authorities. Her questions were aimed at both sides.

Justice Deshmukh said that having social media access is not enough reason to upload videos about any person. She stressed this applies to common citizens and celebrities. “Just because one has access to social media does not mean they can upload videos about any person, whether a common citizen or a celebrity, merely to defame them. Why upload such videos on social media?” she said.

Court suggests legal remedies, not online fights

The judge indicated that parties should stop fighting disputes on social media. She said they should instead use proper legal forums and procedures. Justice Deshmukh suggested that Ketan Kakkad consider deleting tweets and videos about the dispute. The advice was given during the hearing. It was not a final order.

The court also asked if judicial time should be used only to decide if a social media post is defamatory. It noted courts were now examining individual posts and videos. The judge said this concern needed thought. She added that even third-party uploads can be addressed. Parties can act through online intermediaries.

The bench suggested again that Kakkad think about deleting the disputed content. The judges then fixed a new date for the matter. The case will come up for further hearing on 6 July. Both sides are expected to return to the High Court then. The legal dispute over the posts remains pending.