Read Time: 04 minutes

A Mumbai city civil court has recently denied actor Salman Khan interim relief in a defamation suit that he had filed against Non-resident Indian (NRI) Ketan Kakkad, his neighbor, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against him and his family over a land sale transaction.

Salman had sought directions from the court to stop Kakkad from making purportedly defamatory statements against him. 

The Additional Sessions Judge Anil H Laddhad pronounced the verdict on Wednesday, stating that the reasons for rejection will follow in the order, yet to be published. 

Advocate Pradeep Gandhy, representing the actor, stated that the defendants had made false, disparaging, and defamatory allegations in videos, posts, and tweets causing harm and loss to Khan, his family members, and his business ventures.

He pointed out that Kakkad had attempted to purchase a plot of land beside Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel. However, that transaction was canceled by the authorities on the ground that it was illegal.

Kakkad then allegedly started raising false and baseless accusations that the transaction had been canceled at the behest of Khan and his family members.

However, during the course of hearing, Advocate Abha Singh representing the NRI had informed the court that the defamation suit was only a garb and that Salman wanted Kakkad’s land cheap. She had also argued that the dispute between the two parties is essentially a land issue and that Salman had not come before the court with clean hands.

The suit had arisen from an interview Kakkad had given to a Youtube channel in which he had made certain allegations against Salman.

Advocate Singh had said regarding the allegations that they were only the truth and that Kakkad was only expressing his unhappiness. It was argued that Salman had defamed the NRI so badly that he and his wife want to leave the country.