The Delhi High Court has issued notice on the Kala Hiran producer’s plea to return actor Salman Khan’s suit for want of territorial jurisdiction, with the producer contending that neither side lives or does business in Delhi.
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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued notice on an application by Amit Jani, producer of the proposed film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy, seeking return of the suit filed by actor Salman Khan on the ground that the Court lacks territorial jurisdiction, and has asked the actor to respond [Salman Khan v. Amit Jani and Others].
The application was heard by Justice Tejas Karia. What follows records the parties’ contentions. The Court has expressed no view on their merits.
The application
The producer has moved the application under Order VII Rule 10 read with Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure, asking that the plaint be returned to the actor for presentation before a court that has jurisdiction. The Court issued notice and sought the actor’s reply. The application remains pending.
What the producer contends
It has been contended on behalf of the producer that:
- neither the actor nor the defendants reside or carry on business in Delhi;
- the actor lives in Mumbai, while the defendants reside or do business in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh;
- the mere online availability of teasers, posters and publications across the country, including Delhi, does not confer jurisdiction on the Delhi High Court;
- the plaint does not allege that the film or its promotion targeted Delhi audiences, or that the actor suffered a distinct injury in Delhi; and
- an injunction against a completed cinematographic work is an extraordinary remedy, and a short teaser cannot show the film’s full context or impact.
ALSO READ: Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Kala Hiran Producer’s Plea To Stay Salman Khan’s Suit
The wider dispute
The proposed film is stated to be inspired by the actor’s 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The actor obtained an ex parte ad-interim injunction in a personality rights suit on 11 December 2025 and has separately sought an interim injunction concerning the proposed film, which remains pending. A coordinate bench restrained release of the film’s teaser on 27 July and ordered the takedown of 23 URLs.
Earlier this week the Court also issued notice on a separate application by the producer to stay the trial of the actor’s suit, on the ground that substantially the same dispute is pending in an earlier suit. The producer has also told the Court that the film is not yet in a releasable state, as the Censor Board has not certified its contents. The actor’s side has not yet responded on the jurisdiction objection.
Why the order matters
Where a suit over online content is filed matters, because the mere accessibility of material on the internet in a city has not by itself been treated as enough to found jurisdiction there. The Court will now hear both sides on whether the plaint, as drafted, discloses a cause of action arising in Delhi. Until it decides, the application is only a contention, and the actor’s reply is awaited.
Case Title: Salman Khan v. Amit Jani and Others
Court: Delhi High Court
Bench: Justice Tejas Karia
Date: October 2026
Appearances: For Salman Khan: Senior Advocate Ravi Prakash with Advocates Nizam Pasha, Parag Khandhar, Chandrima Mitra, Tapan Radkar, Krishan Kumar, Zara Dhanbhoora and Charu Sharma. For the producer: Advocates Pulkit Agarwal and Anubhav Lamba.