Granting relief to Aditya Dhar, the director of the film “Dhurandhar,” the Bombay High Court has issued a restraining order against writer Santosh Kumar for defaming Dhar by calling him a “thief.” Dhar had filed a defamation lawsuit against Kumar, who accused Dhar of plagiarizing his work during a press conference.
Representing Dhar, Advocate Birendra Saraf informed the court that while Kumar is free to take legal action if he believes his script was stolen, he cannot publicly label Dhar as a “thief.” Saraf emphasized that allegations should not be made without proper evidence.
Saraf presented the court with evidence from Kumar’s press conference, where Kumar admitted that there were differences between his script and Dhar’s, acknowledging a general thematic connection between their works due to the common genre they both belong to.
The court stated that a formal notice would be sent to Kumar to appear for further proceedings. In the meantime, Saraf requested temporary protection for Dhar specifically concerning the terms “chori” and “theft.” The court granted this interim relief, prohibiting Kumar from making any defamatory remarks against Dhar until the next hearing. It was noted that Kumar had not appeared in court or through legal representation, prompting the court to issue a notice to ensure his participation in the case.