Social media not for defamation: HC; asks Salman Khan's neighbour to consider deleting posts

Access to societal media does not entitle anyone to station defamatory content, including against celebrities, the Bombay High Court observed connected Thursday (June 11, 2026) portion asking Salman Khan’s Panvel farmhouse neighbour to see deleting his posts against the actor.

A azygous Bench of Justice Sharmila Deshmukh questioned wherefore anyone should upload specified contented connected societal media alternatively of addressing their grievances with the authorities concerned.

Ketan Kakkad owns the spot adjoining Mr. Khan's farmhouse astatine Panvel successful Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai township.

He had alleged that the histrion violated biology norms during the operation of his farmhouse and blocked entree to the neighbour's property. Mr. Kakkad besides claimed to person approached authorities connected the issue, but nary enactment was taken.

Mr. Khan aboriginal filed a defamation suit against Mr. Kakkad, claiming helium had uploaded videos and different contented connected societal media astir the actor's activities astatine his farmhouse. He claimed the posts were defamatory.

The histrion sought the tribunal to nonstop Mr. Kakkad to region the defamatory videos that helium had uploaded and besides to halt him from making specified comments further. When a civilian tribunal refused to walk specified an order, helium approached the HC.

Mr. Khan, successful his plea successful the HC, said the posts uploaded by Mr. Kakkad were not lone defamatory successful nature, but besides communally provocative against him.

On Thursday (June 11, 2026), the plea came up for proceeding earlier Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, who questioned arsenic to wherefore anyone should upload specified videos and contented connected societal media alternatively of taking up their grievance with the authorities concerned.

"Just due to the fact that 1 has entree to societal media does not mean they tin upload videos astir immoderate person, whether a communal national oregon a celebrity, simply to defame them. Why upload specified videos connected societal media?" Justice Deshmukh said.

The tribunal besides wondered if judicial clip should beryllium wasted lone to determine whether oregon not a peculiar societal media station is defamatory and hence should beryllium deleted.

The Bench suggested Mr. Kakkad to see deleting the contented and posted the substance for further proceeding connected July 6.