Mumbai: AI tools helped police zero in on actor Kamaal R Khan over the firing at an Andheri housing society over a week ago. They mapped the paths the bullets took, which helped determine the shooter's position and range, and digitally reconstructed the crime scene.

Two bullets were found lodged in a cupboard and a wall inside the flats of screenwriter Neeraj Mishra and model Prateek Baid on the second and fourth floors of Nalanda Housing Society in Lokhandwala on January 18, about 300 m from Khan's bungalow. No one was injured. Khan, who owns a licensed 7.65mm Mauser, was arrested by Oshiwara police on Saturday and sent to police custody till Tuesday.

The case was initially perplexing because neither did the CCTVs capture someone entering or exiting the building around the tentative time of firing, nor did the security guards hear any sounds of gunfire. Police reached out to forensic experts to determine the type of firearm used, learnt the firing range of the gun through AI-based GPS and sound tracking tools, and looked into residents in the area who had registered similar weapons.

An eyewitness, in the meantime, reported having heard firing in Khan's bungalow on January 18. Police once again used AI to see if the two cases could be linked. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team's findings showed that Khan's bungalow was a very close match for the firing range and the possible trajectories of the bullets. The Nalanda building and the bungalow are separated by only a thicket of mangroves and an open ground.

"The FSL team also confirmed that the make of the firearm used matched Khan's pistol," said an Oshiwara police officer. Khan had procured the licence for the gun in 2004 in UP, which was later registered with Delhi police and then with Mumbai police.

Khan told police that the firearm got stuck while he was checking it and that it suddenly fired into the mangroves. "He claimed his intention was not to target anyone. We have seized his gun and 21 live bullets, two of which he fired," said the officer.

He had recorded 30 bullets while registering his gun with Versva police. Seven of the bullets are missing. "We are ascertaining where he spent them," said the officer. Police said the cancellation of Khan's weapon licence is under consideration.

Khan's lawyer, Nagesh Mishra, told reporters that the actor has not made any admission before police and that he had no intention of firing. "The actor is not acquainted with either of the people [in whose houses the bullets were found]. He has a licensed pistol that he has kept at home for self-defence." He claimed that the pistol's range is only 20m and questioned how the bullets could have travelled that far.

City police had used AI in at least one case before, to crack a case of jewellery theft from a flat in Malad highrise in April 2025. They used AI tools to enhance blurred CCTV footage, arrested the thief in 12 hours, and recovered all of the valuables.

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Actor-producer Kamaal R Khan, popularly known as KRK, was remanded to police custody till January 27 by a Bandra court on Saturday in connection with a firing incident reported in Mumbai’s Oshiwara area.

KRK’s lawyer, advocate Nagesh Mishra, termed the case “fabricated” and denied his client’s involvement. “Kamaal R Khan has been falsely implicated in this case… the bullet has a maximum capacity of 20 metres, and the place where this gun was fired was at a distance of 400 metres. It is not possible,” Nagesh said.

He added, “Kamaal R Khan has no connection with the firing incident. Many big names in Bollywood are against him, and the police are being misled. There is no connection between the alleged offence and the accused.”

According to Mumbai Police, the firing incident took place on January 18 at Nalanda Society in Oshiwara, where two bullets were allegedly fired. One bullet was recovered from a second-floor flat belonging to a writer-director, while another was found on the fourth floor of the building, which houses a model’s residence. No injuries were reported.

Following the incident, police examined CCTV footage from the area and questioned several individuals. While initial CCTV footage failed to provide any leads, forensic analysis later suggested that the bullets may have been fired from KRK’s bungalow, prompting investigators to identify him as the prime suspect, and a case was subsequently registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. Police claim that the actor admitted during questioning that the firing was carried out using his licensed firearm.

Mumbai: Nearly a week after two bullets were fired at two separate flats of an Andheri-based housing society, Oshiwara Police arrested actor Kamaal R Khan in the case on Saturday. Police recovered a German-made pistol and 21 rounds from the actor's bungalow in Versova.

The motive is still being probed. Police said Khan was checking the pistol believing that one round was left behind in it. However, Khan's lawyer, Nagesh Mishra, told mediapersons that the actor has not made any admission before the police.

The bullets were found inside the apartments of writer Neeraj Mishra and model Prateek Baid on the second and fourth floor of Nalanda society in Lokhandwala on January18. Impact marks were found on a plywood cabinet and walls. Nobody was injured.

After the police were informed, they studied CCTV footage but nobody was found entering or leaving the society. The guard said he hadn't heard sounds of gunfire. Police then took the help of forensic experts to find out what type of firearm did the bullets belong to. They then found out the firing range of such a weapon and checked which of the residents from the area had registered similar weapons.

The police team, supervised by additional commissioner Paramjeet Dahiya and DCP Dikshitkumar Gedam, and comprising senior inspector Sanjay Chavan and inspector Sachin Patil, took Khan into custody after confirming that the bullets came from his 7.65 mm Mauser. Police said Khan has a prior crime record.

Around 1 pm on Saturday, Khan was produced before a magistrate court in Bandra and remanded to police custody till January 27. Adv Mishra argued that Khan had no intention of firing. "The actor is not acquainted with either of the people (in whose houses the bullets were found). He has a licensed pistol that he has kept at home for self-defence," said advocate Mishra. The lawyer added that the range of a pistol is 20 metres but the bullets were found 400 metres away.

Between Khan's bungalow and Nalanda society, there are mangroves, roads and an under-construction structure.

Advocate Mishra has also claimed that the actor was not served a notice as required under Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, nor were the grounds of arrest disclosed to him.

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Oshiwara police used drones and forensic analysis to crack the mysterious firing at Nalanda building, with an aerial trajectory map flown from Kamal R Khan’s (KRK) MHADA bungalow confirming that the pellets were fired from his premises – a key breakthrough that led to his arrest, officers said.

According to police, the firing took place on January 18 between 12:00 pm and 12:30 pm, when Khan allegedly fired shots into the air. Officials said his pistol had seven rounds, and two pellets landed at the Nalanda Co-operative Housing Society – one at a director’s second-floor flat and the other at an actor’s fourth-floor residence.

Oshiwara police were informed about the incident at around 7:30 pm. Officers reached the building, collected the pellets found at the two residences, registered an FIR and launched an investigation.

With zero eyewitnesses and no immediate leads, investigators leaned heavily on technology. The case surfaced after director Neeraj Kumar Mishra alerted police to a bullet hole at his flat in the Nalanda building. Model Prateek Baid, who noticed police activity at the premises, handed over a “button-like” object found near the impact point, which forensics later confirmed was a pellet.

What initially baffled investigators was the angle of impact. “The shot appeared straight-range,” an officer said. “Moreover, the area adjacent to the building is an under-construction site with open ground and tin sheets, making a direct line of fire difficult to explain.”

On January 19, Oshiwara police and the crime branch remained puzzled as CCTV footage from the building did not capture anything suspicious, and there were no clear visual leads to identify the shooter.

Investigators first established that the pellets were fired from a .32 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) through technical and forensic analysis. Officers then matched the pellets’ velocity and range with data of licensed revolver holders in Oshiwara, which pointed them to Khan, police said.

To verify whether a .32 pistol could have fired pellets that reached Nalanda, police carried out trajectory mapping and assessed the weapon’s effective range, which they said is between 25 and 50 yards. A drone was then flown from Khan’s bungalow to map the line of fire and check for obstructions. The aerial assessment reportedly showed that pellets could reach the building without hindrance and that the bungalow fell within the effective shooting range.

Police also scrutinized CCTV footage from around Khan’s bungalow and claimed they detected firing sounds between 12 pm and 12.30 pm, further strengthening the link.

Khan was apprehended on January 23. Officials said they are awaiting ballistic and other forensic reports to make the case watertight.

“The drone survey helped us confirm there was no obstruction and that a pellet could indeed reach Nalanda,” an officer said, adding that the aerial mapping proved crucial to the investigation.

Khan denied wrongdoing. His lawyer, Nagesh Mishra, told Mumbai Mirror: “No notice or grounds of arrest were served. My client is innocent, and the police were misled.”

Police booked Khan under a non-bailable offence (Section 110, BNS) and secured custody till January 27 to probe the motive and rule out intent. “Given that those involved belong to the acting fraternity, we are verifying whether the act was deliberate or purely accidental,” an officer said.

Khan’s revolver licence is likely to be revoked following the incident, police said.

Mumbai: A city court has temporarily restrained actor and film critic Kamaal R Khan from publishing defamatory content against film producer Vashu Bhagnani, saying he has “no absolute right” to damage the latter’s reputation under the guise of movie review in public domain.

The judge underscored that “right to speech of one person should not cause breach of the right of privacy and public image of another person”.

Bhagnani had sought legal action against Khan for allegedly running a “well-orchestrated smear campaign” in early 2021 by posting a series of “grossly defamatory, slanderous, and distasteful” tweets and videos. Bhagnani as interim injunctions — until his main defamation suit against Khan was decided — had sought directions prohibiting Khan from publishing any further defamatory comments and an unconditional apology.

In an order passed earlierthis month, civil judge Amit A Laulkar asked Khan to delete or withdraw the “offending allegations” mentioned in the legal motion. However, it denied the prayer for an unconditional apology, stating that such a mandate requires detailed evidence typically handled at the final trial stage. Khan, in his response, argued that the motion was “frivolous” and based on “distorted facts”. He maintained that as a film critic, it is his job to review films and discuss industry trade. 

The Delhi High Court on Monday resumed hearing former NCB official Sameer Wankhede’s defamation plea against The Ba***ds Of Bollywood. The court pulled up Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix, noting that while the show may be satirical, its portrayal of Wankhede appeared biased.

According to a report in NDTV, Wankhede sued Red Chillies, Netflix, and Aryan Khan for defamation. Aryan, actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son was arrested by Wankhede in 2021 when he was with the Narcotics Control Bureau, but later all charges against him were dropped. The IRS officer asked the court, “Do I deserve this trial in public opinion?”

Wankhede’s lawyer J Sai Deepak, cited self-proclaimed film critic Kamaal R Khan’s (KRK) post on X to demonstrate the threats and mockery he faced after the show aired. “The show has convinced people that I have no integrity — chor, and what else?” the lawyer said on Wankhede’s behalf

Appearing for Red Chillies, senior advocate Neeraj Kaul defended the show’s satire, saying, “I am entitled to do this. You are putting a gun to my head in the plaint. Of course, I can say that I am inspired by characters....Every producer, paparazzi can appear tomorrow, (saying) my face resembles.”

The advocate noted that cartoonist R K Laxman could satirically critique the Prime Minister, calling it a source of national pride. The court responded that, unlike The Ba***ds Of Bollywood, Laxman’s work showed no bias, unlike the context involving Aryan and Wankhede. The Delhi HC will continue hearing the matter on November 26.

Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has shared that he received backlash for his tweet in support of self-proclaimed critic Kamaal R Khan aka KRK, after the latter’s arrest in Mumbai.

KRK was arrested last month in connection with multiple cases. Following this, Sinha had tweeted saying the actor-critic was a victim of a conspiracy and should get justice soon. Now, in a recent interview, Sinha has clarified that he was not supporting KRK’s controversial comments about actors, but was only advocating for his freedom of expression.

“That tweet about KRK received backlash. People said nasty things about me as well as about Sonakshi (daughter and actor). I was not talking about his mistakes. We can fight his opinions with our opinions. We don’t have a personal enmity with him. Just because certain stars are against him, everyone is against him,” he said in the interview.

He added, “But will anyone support him for the way he or many people have been picked up? I think this is a little extreme. Who’s all innocent in the industry? All the wrongdoings of stars haven’t gone unnoticed by the people. We, as an industry sometimes ignore that. That’s a different thing.”

KRK was arrested by Mumbai Police and later released on bail in connection with two cases from 2020 and 2021. In a now deleted tweet, Sinha had written, “One should always remember that despite great opposition & struggle the ‘KRK’ is a self-made man, he has the blessings of the Almighty. He has made his place in the film industry, as well as society on his own.”

Mumbai: Actor and producer Kamaal R Khan was arrested for the second time in a week in connection with an old case. Versova police took him into custody on Saturday on charges of molestation slapped by a fitness trainer in 2021. A holiday court on Sunday sent Khan to judicial custody. On August 30, the Malad police had arrested Khan for derogatory tweets posted by him in 2020.

According to the Versova police, the fitness trainer approached them in mid-2021 while the incident had occurred in 2019. She had said that she was terrified of Khan's connections in the industry and as a result, had not approached the police soon after the incident.

The woman said in her complaint that she had met Khan at a house party and he had promised to get her a role in a film. They had also exchanged phone numbers. She alleged that he would send her sexually explicit messages. In January 2019, Khan invited her home for his birthday party but she couldn't make it. However, she went on a later date to meet him.

According to the complaint, Khan invited her to a room on the upper floor where he offered her liquor. The woman refused but later agreed to have orange juice. She complained that the drink was spiked and that Khan started to touch her inappropriately and also flashed her. She fled thereafter.

Versova Police booked Khan under IPC section 354 (A) and 509, but couldn't locate him as he had moved abroad. Meanwhile, Malad Police were already looking for him in connection with the 2020 case of derogatory tweets lodged by Shiv Sena member Rahul Kanal. A look out circular was issued against him. He was detained by Malad police at Mumbai International airport on August 29. He was arrested on Tuesday and produced before a magistrate court which sent him to judicial custody. Thereafter, Versova police took his custody.

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Mumbai: A court here on Tuesday granted bail to actor Kamaal R Khan, known as KRK, in a 2021 molestation case registered against him by Versova police.

Khan, however, will remain in jail as his bail plea is pending before the Borivli magistrate court in the 2020 case of controversial tweets about actor Akshay Kumar and filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma. His bail application in the case of the tweets is likely to be heard by the Borivli metropolitan magistrate court on Wednesday.

Khan was arrested from Mumbai international airport on August 30 over the alleged derogatory tweets and sent to judicial custody by the magistrate court.

Versova police on Sunday took his custody in the molestation case and he was produced before the Bandra court.

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Mumbai: A court on Wednesday granted bail to actor Kamaal R Khan in 2020 case of controversial tweets about actor Akshay Kumar and filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma.

On Tuesday, another court granted him bail in 2021 molestation case. Khan, currently in judicial custody, was arrested from Mumbai airport last week over his tweets. He is likely to walk out of jail on Thursday morning. The police have claimed that Khan's posts were communal and he targeted Bollywood personalities. Khan in his bail plea said, the tweets were only his comments on film “Laxmii Bomb” (released as “Laxmii”).

Actor and film critic Kamaal R Khan (54) was arrested by police on Tuesday at the city airport when he landed from Dubai for his derogatory tweets about Akshay Kumar’s film ‘Laxmmi’ and Ram Gopal Verma in 2020. Shiv Sena’s Rahul Kanal had complained that Khan used Twitter to post distasteful tweets about celebrities.

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Actor, producer and film critic Kamaal R Khan (54) was arrested by Malad police on Tuesday for his derogatory tweets in 2020. Shiv Sena member Rahul Kanal had complained that Khan operated two Twitter handles, which he frequently used for posting distasteful tweets about celebrities.

A lookout circular had been issued against Khan as he was not in Mumbai then. As soon as he landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International air-port late on Monday, police were informed and he was detained.

In October 2020, Kanal, who runs a social organization, complained about Khan’s tweets on Akshay Kumar’s film ‘Laxmmi’. Kanal said the tweets were aimed at spreading hatred and creating enmity between communities. Kanal also mentioned a distasteful tweet Khan had posted against filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma. Subsequently, Malad police registered an FIR against Khan for defamation under provisions of IPC and Information Technology Act.

“We tried to contact Khan in 2020 for making enquiries but we learnt that he had moved to Dubai, following which a lookout circular was issued against him,” a senior police officer said.

Khan was produced before a Borivali magistrate court on Tuesday. In the remand application, police said they wanted to probe Khan’s intention behind such tweets and if he was doing it on instructions from someone. They also want to probe if Khan was demanding money from people in the film industry against threats of posting negative film reviews on social media.

Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar has confirmed that his next, a reboot of the 1998 movie Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, will be going on floors by the end of this year.

With this, Zafar has put speculations about the film being shelved to rest. Clearing the air in an exclusive chat with us, he says, “This is absolutely baseless. We are very much on track and there’s no truth to the shelving rumours.”

Divulging further details about the Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff-starrer, the director adds, “We are currently working on the pre-production. I don’t know where these rumours are coming from. For a film of this large scale, months of pre-production is needed. We will go on floors by the end of this year or early next year and shoot in the UK.”

The speculations were rife after actor Kamaal R Khan aka KRK tweeted, ‘Producer, director Ali Abbas Zafar has decided to not make film #bademiyanchotemiyan with Akshay and Tiger...”

While the original starred actors Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda, the reboot will star Kumar and Shroff. An announcement video was released back in February and the movie is expected to hit the screens around Christmas 2023.

Mumbai: “Reputation and honour are no less precious to good men than bodily safety and freedom,” said city civil court judge C V Marathe on Wednesday temporarily restraining an actor and film critic from making any statements, videos, posts or reposting and republishing any defamatory content against Bollywood actor Salman Khan, his family and production company.

The actor filed an application to restrain critic, Kamaal R Khan and nine others from making defamatory posts or publications, including about his film ‘Radhe’. His counsel Pradeep Gandhy submitted that there's no restriction on commenting on a film or cast's performance, but “personal allegations against Salman Khan are baseless”.

The defendant’s counsel Manoj Gadkari “vehemently” argued that Salman Khan should as a public figure be open to criticism and that the critic “had merely expressed his opinion about ‘Radhe movie’…’’

Mika Singh and self-proclaimed critic Kamaal R Khan (KRK) have been at loggerheads ever since the singer supported actor Salman Khan in his defamation lawsuit against KRK. And Singh is in no mood to back down; he says, “Isko seedha karke hi rahunga”. He tells us, “I’ve been watching KRK, and I keep thinking about his personal attacks. He has tried some on me too. Industry mein agar iss pagal ghode ko koi thik kar sakta hai, woh main hi hoon.” Until now, the singer refrained from getting into any feud for the sake of his family.

“They kept telling me, ‘Abhi sab achha chal raha hai, kya zaroorat hai’. That’s why I ignored. Ab woh itna sarr pe chadh gaya hai. Yeh cheez bahut pehle control ho jaani chahiye thi,” says Singh, 43, adding that a lot of people from the film industry are afraid of getting caught in KRK’s “dirty tactics”, and that’s why they keep ignoring him.

“Sabke baare mein itne gande remarks. [Late actor] Sushant Singh Rajput ke baare mein bhi he has said so much. Isiliye mujhe beech mein kudna pada,” Singh shares.

For the last two weeks, Singh and KRK’s feud has been gaining steam on social media, with the former announcing a song, KRK Kutta.

Explaining his stance, the Sawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag hitmaker says he’ll not take it lightly if KRK continues to talk about his family instead of critiquing his work. “He’s only seeking publicity by picking up names in Bollywood,” Singh adds.

But what took him so long to act against KRK’s defamatory statements? “He has also committed fraud by forging a signature while selling my cousin his property in Delhi. He apologized to me for that, and for targeting me on social media. I didn’t say anything back then to avoid controversies,” admits Singh. 

In fact, he has already completed the song dedicated to KRK. “Gaane ke lyrics sunke dar jayega woh. Uss song ka meaning kuch bhi ho, but beats and sounds are very good. I’ll release it once things get better in the country,” Singh shares.

Their spat started when Mika jumped into KRK’s ongoing legal tussle with actor Salman Khan over a defamation case. Backing Salman, Mika criticised KRK for making personal attacks against actors. Since then, Mika has been calling him out — from standing in front of his house in Mumbai to dedicating a song to him. KRK retaliated through Twitter, labelling him as a “chirkut singer”.

Mumbai: In a defamation suit filed by actor Salman Khan against Kamaal R Khan, the latter’s advocate made a statement in civil court on Thursday that he “will not put any remarks of defamatory nature against the plaintiff on social media till next date”. The defamation plea will be heard on June 7.

DSK Legal, advocates for Salman Khan and Salman Khan Ventures, said Kamaal R Khan had incorrectly put out a series of tweets and videos alleging that Salman Khan had sued him for defamation as he reviewed the film, Radhe. The statement clarified that the suit has been filed as the defendant Kamaal has been publishing and endorsing defamatory allegations, including that Salman Khan is corrupt and that he and his brand ‘Being Human’ are involved in fraud. “The defendant has been spreading malicious falsehoods and defaming Mr Salman Khan consistently over several months, clearly to draw attention to himself,” the statement said.

Mumbai: The Malad police registered a case against Bollywood producer, actor and film critic Kamaal R Khan for ‘indulging in attacks based on religion’ over social media. The charges were pressed by Yuva Sena member Rahul Kanal on Tuesday.

In his statement to the police, Kanal said that Khan had been making distasteful statements about certain Bollywood actors on Twitter. In his review of an upcoming film, Khan allegedly made remarks intended to spread hatred among communities, according to Kanal’s complaint. The police said that Khan was presently out of the country and would be summoned for questioning once he returned.

“We have registered a case under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Information Technology (IT) Act against Khan,” said senior inspector George Fernandes of the Malad police station.

In response to Kanal’s complaint against him, Khan tweeted on Wednesday: “I just want to know is Rahul Kanal the Home Minister of Maharashtra, CM of Maharashtra or PM? One day he files an FIR against me at Bandra police station, next day at Malad police station and the next day at Goregaon police station. How can you do this?”

On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court took on record the consent terms as an undertaking with an unconditional apology extended by Payal Ghosh in the defamation suit filed against her by Richa Chadha. Payal agreed to withdraw all defamatory statements and posts from her social media handles. Speaking to Mirror, Richa, who is currently shooting in Lucknow, said she felt vindicated by the verdict. Excerpts:

The court has constantly recorded what is right and I’d not hold Twitter over the court. It is not just an apology; it is the consent terms as an undertaking, which is sacrosanct. My fans may want more, but this was not about money, only about my respect. The suit continues against the other defendants even though the news channel agreed to the injunction and deletion of all videos and posts with defamatory content against me, and Kamaal R Khan’s lawyer gave a statement as recorded in the order of the court that his client has no intention of repeating his tweets and that he’ll not make any similar remarks about me or the statement made by Payal in relation to me on Twitter or any other media. Out of respect for the court and the proceedings on October 7, I decided not to press for monetary compensation. It was not about money anyway. You can’t put a price on my reputation. I had sued for Rs 1.1 crore, which is very close to the bare minimum in a defamatory case in the Bombay High Court. I didn’t start it, but I have certainly finished it.

I hope not. I know serial sexual predators are now scared, and those accused have installed CCTV cameras in their offices. We have created a safer work environment for women. But the #MeToo movement has only scraped the surface in India; it’s going to gather steam.

I’m not here to defend Anurag Kashyap nor claim that Payal’s allegations against him are baseless. The comments were misogynistic and personal; I had to set the record straight.

Even in the West, when a few women came forward to complain against Harvey Weinstein, there were others who wondered why they hadn’t spoken up sooner. Actress Mayim Bialik wrote about how her mother had taught her to be appropriate, insinuating that women who giggle or dress in a certain way, are inviting advances. It took several Oscar winners to support the movement and share their stories, to bring about a difference.

A natural recourse while reporting abuse is going to the cops. Talking about it in the media first can be counterproductive. In a country like India, where rapes are still a regular occurrence, it is important to be responsible both while reporting abuse and making statements. That’s why I am interested in the outcome of the lawsuit filed by 34 producers and associations of the industry. The difference between slander and news is fact.

There are consequences to trolling; besides tangible ones like losing out on work, it also takes a toll on mental health. In fact, in the aftermath of Sushant Singh Rajput’s tragic death, we had an opportunity to talk about mental health. If you want change, you need to discuss it. Instead, everyone is trying to be holier-than-thou and calling for a ban on people who aren’t. We need to talk about nepotism; there is no running away from it. But by attacking people, nothing can be achieved.

That is yet to be seen. The most immediate effect will be noticed when struggling actors come to the city and try to find accommodation. People don’t realise how many industries rely on Bollywood for a living.

He was the first one to alert me, on September 19, adding that I shouldn’t concern myself with it. I wouldn’t have taken the legal recourse if I could have solved the matter over the phone. Over the last month, I have spoken to my lawyer far more than I spoke to Ali, but he has always been there for me.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday accepted actor Payal Ghosh’s unconditional apology to actor Richa Chadha and disposed of the defamation suit against her.

In the undertaking, Ghosh has agreed to withdraw and delete all defamatory statements, posts and videos against Chadha. The suit for damages of Rs 1.1 crore will, however, continue against the Telugu news channel that first aired Ghosh’s interview, which contained the defamatory remarks, and actor Kamaal R Khan for reproducing the defamatory content.

Justice AK Menon accepted the consent terms in the form of an undertaking to the court, making its breach contemptuous under provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act.

As per the terms, not only will the ‘defamatory’ content be withdrawn, Ghosh has undertaken not to “state, make, publish any defamatory or humiliating statement’s against the plaintiff (Chadha) in perpetuity”, related to the subject.

The actors have further decided not to file any civil suit or criminal case against each other in this regard.

The consent terms assume importance as Ghosh had denied agreeing to give an apology hours after her lawyer informed the court that she was Chadha’s “big fan” and had “innocently” made those statements against her, last week.

During that hearing the court had passed a John Doe order, which is an order against unknown people restraining them from making any defamatory statements against people. While Khan’s lawyer said he would contest the suit, he claimed to have “no intention of repeating his tweets” or making similar remarks against Chadha.

The news channel ABN Telugu informed the court that they have already pulled down the video.

According to the suit, the defamatory statements were first made by Payal in an interview against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on September 19, and were reiterated in several other interviews. Richa, in her petition filed through advocate Saveena Bedi Sachar, said that the statements continued even after sending them a legal notice.

Richa stated that it was “evil and misogynistic” on Payal’s part to comment on her appearance and to “lynch” her hard-earned reputation in order to wrongfully gain publicity.

The defamation suit will continue against the news channel and Khan for damages of Rs 1.1 crore. Khan, who reproduced the allegations, informed the court that he wanted to contest the suit.

The case has now been adjourned for six weeks.

Mumbai: Actor Richa Chadha filed a defamation suit for Rs 1.1 crore in damages from actor Payal Ghosh and others, including unknown persons, over “defamatory statements” made against her in a news channel interview.

The matter was scheduled for hearing before Justice Anil Menon of Bombay High Court on Monday. When it came up for a virtual hearing via video-conferencing, Chhada’s counsel Virendra Tulzapurkar and Saveena Bedi Sachar said that, the other side was not represented before the court. No one appeared for Ghosh or others. The HC then directed that the matter be listed on October 7 and asked for documents to be re-served on the defendants.

Chadha is seeking relief against Ghosh and others from publishing any allegedly defamatory content against her or “using her name in any defamatory manner whatsoever, in relation to any disputes between Ghosh and film ma ker Anurag Kashyap”.

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Richa Chadha has taken legal action against Payal Ghosh after the latter took Richa’s name among others in a TV interview where she accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexual harassment.

On September 21, Richa issued a statement through her advocate that condemned the act of her name being dragged into the controversy. Following the notice, a defamation suit was filed by Richa primarily against Payal and others for maligning her name.

A source revealed, “The matter was listed on Monday in the Bombay High Court. The court was informed by advocate Saveena Bedi Sachar (Richa’s lawyer) that the defendants had been served the suit, but none of them had appeared before the court. The court has directed that the matter be listed on October 7 and has asked for the documents to be served on the defendants once again.” Richa’s lawyer said, “Since the matter is sub judice, I can’t say much. But I believe that the statements against Richa Chadha are defamatory and can affect any self-respecting woman. I am sure justice will be done.”

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Richa Chadha has filed a lawsuit in the Bombay High Court against Payal Ghosh, Kamaal R Khan (KRK) and a news channel for alleged defamatory statements against her, seeking Rs 1.10 crore in damages from them.

The actor has sought an order from the court for restraining them and unknown others from making any more defamatory statements. She has also sought withdrawal of the defamatory videos and tweets besides a public apology on Twitter and their websites.

The alleged defamatory statements were first made by Ghosh in an interview on September 19, and were reiterated in several other interviews. Chadha, in her petition filed through advocate Saveena Bedi Sachar, says the defamatory statements continued even after sending them a legal notice.

As for KRK, it is alleged that he not only posted the interview on social media but also added a slew of defamatory tweets to it.

Chadha says it was “evil and misogynistic” on Ghosh’s part to comment on her appearance to “lynch” her hard-earned reputation in order to wrongfully gain publicity.

The hearing before Justice A K Menon in the Bombay High Court on Monday was adjourned until October 7 after the advocates for the defendants failed to appear.

The court has allowed Chadha to serve the parties with a notice again.