Bombay High Court Sides With Salman Khan in Panvel Farmhouse Defamation Row

The Bombay High Court has directed Salman Khan’s Panvel farmhouse neighbour, Ketan Kakkar, to remove allegedly defamatory remarks made against the actor on social media in connection with an ongoing property dispute. The court observed that social media platforms cannot be used to publish disparaging content against individuals and emphasised that grievances must be addressed through appropriate legal channels rather than online commentary.

The dispute stems from allegations made by Kakkar, who had accused Salman Khan of violating environmental regulations during the construction of his farmhouse in Panvel and of blocking access routes to his residence. These allegations led to a legal confrontation, with the actor subsequently filing a defamation suit in 2022 over posts, tweets, and videos shared by the neighbour.

During the proceedings, the High Court noted that any content deemed defamatory must be removed, and further stated that if such material had been uploaded or shared by third parties, intermediaries would also be required to take steps to ensure its deletion. The court’s observations underline increasing judicial scrutiny over the misuse of digital platforms in ongoing civil disputes.

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Salman Khan’s legal team argued that the online posts were not only defamatory but also contained communal undertones, describing them as false, speculative, and intended to provoke public sentiment. The actor’s counsel further contended that the allegations lacked proper evidence and should not be allowed to damage his personal and professional reputation.

The court, however, noted that it was not sufficiently established that the specific video interview objected to by the actor directly referred to him in a defamatory manner. This observation formed part of the court’s broader assessment of the evidentiary basis of the claims raised in the case.

The matter continues to be part of a larger property-related legal dispute between the two parties, while the court’s interim direction focuses primarily on preventing the circulation of disputed online content. Salman Khan was last seen in the 2025 film “Sikandar,” as legal proceedings in the case remain ongoing.

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