In Kamaal Khan vs Manoj Bajpayee case, SC refuses to transfer defamation case to Mumbai

The Supreme Court has rejected a plea filed by actor and producer Kamaal R Khan which sought a transfer of the defamation case filed against him by actor Manoj Bajpayee.

The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Dipankar Datta.

"Heard learned counsel for the petitioner as also learned counsel for the respondent and perused the petition papers as also the reply filed to the transfer petition along with the documents enclosed. Considering that the complaint has been initiated at a place where it is alleged that the complainant had knowledge of the defamatory tweets, we see no reason to accept the request for transfer," the Bench said.

The Bench also went on to dispose of the transfer plea filed by Khan.

Bajpayee had filed the case after he was termed as a drug addict by Khan in a series of tweets in 2021.

Khan had moved the Supreme Court contending that the case pending before a court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Indore, Madhya Pradesh be transferred to the court if the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Mumbai.

Khan's counsel had argued that since both parties are in Mumbai the case can be shifted to the city.

Bajpayee's counsel on the other hand contended that Khan had not approached the court with clean hands and had suppressed the fact that the ground of jurisdiction had already been rejected by the court. It was also contended that Khan was a habitual offender for posting defamatory content against various celebrities. He has also been prosecuted by the courts for the statements he has made, it was further contended.