After Bombay HC’s restraining order, Kamaal R Khan says he never intended to defame anyone

Advocate Manoj Gadkari, actor Kamaal R Khan's lawyer, told the Bombay High Court that he had not defamed Vashu Bhagnani. Bombay High Court restrained actor Kamaal R Khan from publishing, circulating or repeating the defamatory tweets against the producer.

Advocate Manoj Gadkari, actor Kamaal R Khan's lawyer, told the Bombay High Court that he had not defamed Vashu Bhagnani. Kamaal had merely commented about the films produced by him. His lawyer said that Kamaal never intended to defame anybody, but he is a film critic and in his capacity as a critic, he had passed several remarks about the films produced by Bhagnani. Manoj Gadkari pointed out to Kamaal R Khan's tweet which he had posted in June 2019 and asked the court to dismiss the case since Vashu Bhagnani was late in filing the suit. The court noted that Kamaal’s lawyer was trying to convince Justice A K Menon by stating that one of the offending tweets, pointed out by Virendra Tulzapurkar (Vashu Bhagnani's lawyer), was not a reflection on Bhagnani or his abilities but that of his son, actor Jackky Bhagnani. "This is sought to be used as an example demonstrating that it is only a critical comment and nothing else," the court noted. The court further drew Manoj Gadkari's attention to a few other posts by Kamaal R Khan, following which he was "not in a position to justify that the remaining tweets constitute criticism of any film." In effect, these tweets do not refer to the contents of the film and very clearly refer to Bhagnani himself and the effect that Bhagnani has in Bollywood. "Several of these tweets are prima facie slanderous and actionable," Justice Menon said.