New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice on an application filed by Amit Jani, producer of ‘Kala Hiran: Battle for Legacy’, seeking dismissal of Salman Khan’s suit seeking a stay on the film’s release.
The application contends that the court lacks territorial jurisdiction to hear the matter.
A bench led by Justice Tejas Karia sought Khan’s response to Jani’s plea and scheduled the next hearing for December 16.
Jani’s counsel argued that neither Khan nor the producer resides or conducts business within the Delhi High Court’s territorial jurisdiction. While Khan resides in Mumbai, Jani is based in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
The lawyer further submitted that the availability of the film’s teasers, posters and other promotional material across the country, including Delhi, was insufficient to establish the court’s jurisdiction.
The application also argued that Khan’s plaint did not establish that the promotional material specifically targeted Delhi audiences or caused him any distinct injury in the capital.
In his suit, Khan alleged that the producer had publicly acknowledged that the film was based on him and the criminal proceedings arising from the October 1998 blackbuck incident.
He claimed that the promotional material unmistakably referenced his identity, mannerisms, films and associated events.
The suit further argued that dramatising a trial while appeals and special leave petitions remain pending before the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court violated Khan’s right to a fair trial. It noted that he had been acquitted in three of the four cases arising from the incident.
Khan also alleged that the film’s teasers and promotional material implied, directly or indirectly, that he was guilty of offences that remain under judicial consideration.
